The government has no date for when schools will re-open, the education secretary has said, following suggestions ministers were considering allowing children to return to classes in mid-May as the first step towards an end to the UK's coronavirus lockdown.
Meanwhile, Labour have accused Boris Johnson of being “missing in action” after reports the prime minister skipped five emergency meetings on coronavirus at the start of the crisis. Michael Gove rejected the allegation as “grotesque” but did not deny that the PM had missed the Cobra meetings.
This came as it emerged that a shipment of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline NHS staff had been delayed and would not arrive today. The government said last week that 84 tonnes of vital PPE, including 400,000 gowns, were set to be delivered from Turkey this weekend.
Follow the day's events as they ahppened below:
Good morning and welcome to TheIndependent’s coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
Here are the latest updates from this morning:
Here are the latest updates from this morning:
- The UK death toll is thought to be ‘far higher’ than official figures suggest after new data estimated that more than 4,000 elderly and disabled people have died across all residential and nursing homes. The daily number of UK-wide coronavirus deaths, announced each day by the government, only includes people who died with the virus in hospital in the four nations.
- The world must live with the threat of Covid-19 "for the foreseeable future" as there is no guarantee of a successful vaccine, says David Nabarro, professor of global health at Imperial College London and an envoy for the World Health Organisation on Covid-19.
- The Lib Dems have called for front-line NHS staff to given an extra £29-a-day reward for their services - similar to the financial bonuses that are handed to military personnel on active duty. Acting leader Sir Ed Davey said Downing Street should consider creating a "front-line support package".
- Public Health England is reportedly to start recording coronavirus cases and deaths by ethnicity. Downing Street has commissioned an investigation into the issue of why people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds are at greater risk of becoming seriously ill with Covid-19.
- Calls for an exit plan to end the lockdown intensified as questions emerged about the Government's preparedness during the build-up to the deadly coronavirus outbreak. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer increased pressure for a "road map" out of restrictions as a wide-ranging newspaper report detailed how Boris Johnson missed five meetings of the Government's key Cobra committee as the health crisis was gathering pace.
- Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez has said the government will seek to extend the country's state of emergency by two weeks to fight coronavirus, but will start easing the total confinement of children.
- China reported 16 new confirmed coronavirus cases on 18 April, the lowest since 17 March and down from 27 a day earlier, according to data published on Sunday. Despite the declines in new confirmed cases, authorities are still on guard against a major resurgence, which could be socially and economically destabilising.
- The number of European fatalities is approaching 100,000, according to data from Johns Hopkin University
- Some of the biggest musical stars on the planet performed for One World: Together at Home, the global concert organised in collaboration with Lady Gaga for coronavirus relief, on Saturday. The likes of Sir Elton John, John Legend, The Rolling Stones and Taylor Swift helped raise more than £40m for healthcare workers.
UK death toll 'far higher' than government data suggests
The UK death toll from coronavirus is thought to be far higher than official figures suggest, after new data from the National Care Forum estimated that more than 4,000 elderly and disabled people have died across all residential and nursing homes.
The NCF’s analysis comes amid mounting calls for accurate data on virus-linked deaths. Currently, the daily number of UK-wide coronavirus deaths, announced each day by the government, only includes people who died with Covid-19 in hospital.
The NCF, which represents not-for-profit care providers, collected data from care homes looking after more than 30,000 people in the UK and found that, between 7 and 13 April, there had been 299 deaths linked to coronavirus.
That was three times greater than the number for the previous week, and double the March figure.
On the basis of such findings, the NCF was then able to estimate that, to date, there has been 4,040 coronavirus-related deaths in care homes which are not yet included in official figures, bringing the UK's total death toll closer to 20,000.
The UK death toll from coronavirus is thought to be far higher than official figures suggest, after new data from the National Care Forum estimated that more than 4,000 elderly and disabled people have died across all residential and nursing homes.
The NCF’s analysis comes amid mounting calls for accurate data on virus-linked deaths. Currently, the daily number of UK-wide coronavirus deaths, announced each day by the government, only includes people who died with Covid-19 in hospital.
The NCF, which represents not-for-profit care providers, collected data from care homes looking after more than 30,000 people in the UK and found that, between 7 and 13 April, there had been 299 deaths linked to coronavirus.
That was three times greater than the number for the previous week, and double the March figure.
On the basis of such findings, the NCF was then able to estimate that, to date, there has been 4,040 coronavirus-related deaths in care homes which are not yet included in official figures, bringing the UK's total death toll closer to 20,000.
According to data from the Department of Health and Social Care, it currently stands at 15,464.
'You don't necessarily develop a vaccine that is safe and effective against every virus'
The world must live with the threat of Covid-19 "for the foreseeable future" as there is no guarantee of a successful vaccine, a prominent expert on the disease has reportedly said.
David Nabarro, professor of global health at Imperial College London and an envoy for the World Health Organisation on Covid-19, told The Observer newspaper that people around the globe will have to adapt to the ongoing threat of coronavirus.
"You don't necessarily develop a vaccine that is safe and effective against every virus. Some viruses are very, very difficult when it comes to vaccine development," Dr Nabarro told the paper.
"So for the foreseeable future, we are going to have to find ways to go about our lives with this virus as a constant threat.
"That means isolating those who show signs of the disease and also their contacts. Older people will have to be protected. In addition, hospital capacity for dealing with cases will have to be ensured. That is going to be the new normal for us all."
The world must live with the threat of Covid-19 "for the foreseeable future" as there is no guarantee of a successful vaccine, a prominent expert on the disease has reportedly said.
David Nabarro, professor of global health at Imperial College London and an envoy for the World Health Organisation on Covid-19, told The Observer newspaper that people around the globe will have to adapt to the ongoing threat of coronavirus.
"You don't necessarily develop a vaccine that is safe and effective against every virus. Some viruses are very, very difficult when it comes to vaccine development," Dr Nabarro told the paper.
"So for the foreseeable future, we are going to have to find ways to go about our lives with this virus as a constant threat.
"That means isolating those who show signs of the disease and also their contacts. Older people will have to be protected. In addition, hospital capacity for dealing with cases will have to be ensured. That is going to be the new normal for us all."
More than 6.5 million jobs to be lost in UK lockdown, study predicts
Britain's coronavirus lockdown will take more than 6.5 million jobs out of the economy, according to estimates contained in a new study.
Britain's coronavirus lockdown will take more than 6.5 million jobs out of the economy, according to estimates contained in a new study.
Research by the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex says this equates to around a quarter of the UK's total jobs, with more than half the positions in certain sectors to be lost.
Accommodation and food services are predicted to suffer the worst rate of cuts, with 75.1 per cent of jobs lost, or around 1.3 million positions.
Ranked second was "other services" at 50.2 per cent, ahead of "wholesale, retail and repair of motor vehicles" at 47.6 per cent - or roughly two million jobs.
Next came transport and storage on 44 per cent, or some 700,000 positions, before a gap to "administrative and support services", at 26.5 per cent.
'Schools will only reopen when the scientific advice indicates it is the right time to do so'
British education minister Gavin Williamson said on Sunday that no decision had been taken on when to reopen schools, as the coronavirus lockdown enters a fourth week.
"I can reassure schools and parents that they will only reopen when the scientific advice indicates it is the right time to do so," Mr Williamson said on Twitter.
This follows a report from The Sunday Times which claims senior ministers have drawn up a three-phase strategy to lift the lockdown which includes plans to reopen schools as early as 11 May.
The first pupils invited back would include primary school children and those in years 10 and 12 who are due to sit GCSEs and A-levels next year, the report adds.
British education minister Gavin Williamson said on Sunday that no decision had been taken on when to reopen schools, as the coronavirus lockdown enters a fourth week.
"I can reassure schools and parents that they will only reopen when the scientific advice indicates it is the right time to do so," Mr Williamson said on Twitter.
This follows a report from The Sunday Times which claims senior ministers have drawn up a three-phase strategy to lift the lockdown which includes plans to reopen schools as early as 11 May.
The first pupils invited back would include primary school children and those in years 10 and 12 who are due to sit GCSEs and A-levels next year, the report adds.
'The levels of fear and anxiety have risen over the last few days'
Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said a shipment of PPE that is due to arrive in the country is "a few days' supply" and "may be enough to avert an absolute crisis over this weekend", but added that "it doesn't solve the longer term problem".
Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said a shipment of PPE that is due to arrive in the country is "a few days' supply" and "may be enough to avert an absolute crisis over this weekend", but added that "it doesn't solve the longer term problem".
The shipment, arriving from Turkey, contains 400,000 protective gowns, according to the government.
"The question really is how guaranteed are we that we will have similar shipments over the next few weeks and then will there be from May onwards a really guaranteed regular supply so we take away the levels of fear and anxiety which are existing in hospitals, but also crucially, in GP services and communities and social care as well?
"So it's across the whole health and care system that at the moment there's a supply problem and there's a confidence problem because the levels of fear and anxiety have risen over the last few days."
Mr Dickson said he understood why the government issued advice about what staff should do if PPE supplies run out, but added: "The reality is that again, that will have knocked the confidence of an awful lot of NHS staff who are faced with a situation when they're going into work where they may feel they haven't got the level of kit that they need."
"The question really is how guaranteed are we that we will have similar shipments over the next few weeks and then will there be from May onwards a really guaranteed regular supply so we take away the levels of fear and anxiety which are existing in hospitals, but also crucially, in GP services and communities and social care as well?
"So it's across the whole health and care system that at the moment there's a supply problem and there's a confidence problem because the levels of fear and anxiety have risen over the last few days."
Mr Dickson said he understood why the government issued advice about what staff should do if PPE supplies run out, but added: "The reality is that again, that will have knocked the confidence of an awful lot of NHS staff who are faced with a situation when they're going into work where they may feel they haven't got the level of kit that they need."
‘The idea that the Prime Minister slipped meetings ... is grotesque’
Michael Gove has described a report which claims Boris Johnson missed five Cobra meetings as part of the UK’s early response to coronavirus as “grotesque”.
A senior Downing Street advisor reportedly told The Sunday Times that the PM “didn’t chair any meetings. He liked his country breaks. He didn’t work weekends…”
The government has also been accused of missing a series of opportunities to try and lessen the impact of the outbreak in February and March.
In response, Mr Gove told the Sophy Ridge on Sunday Programme: “The idea that the Prime Minister slipped meetings that were vital to our response to the coronavirus, I think, is grotesque. The Prime Minister took all the major decisions.
“His leadership has been inspirational at times.”
He added: “There are one or two aspects of the Sunday Times report that are slightly off-beam”.
A Number 10 spokesman said: "The Prime Minister has been at the helm of the response to this, providing leadership during this hugely challenging period for the whole nation."
Michael Gove has described a report which claims Boris Johnson missed five Cobra meetings as part of the UK’s early response to coronavirus as “grotesque”.
A senior Downing Street advisor reportedly told The Sunday Times that the PM “didn’t chair any meetings. He liked his country breaks. He didn’t work weekends…”
The government has also been accused of missing a series of opportunities to try and lessen the impact of the outbreak in February and March.
In response, Mr Gove told the Sophy Ridge on Sunday Programme: “The idea that the Prime Minister slipped meetings that were vital to our response to the coronavirus, I think, is grotesque. The Prime Minister took all the major decisions.
“His leadership has been inspirational at times.”
He added: “There are one or two aspects of the Sunday Times report that are slightly off-beam”.
A Number 10 spokesman said: "The Prime Minister has been at the helm of the response to this, providing leadership during this hugely challenging period for the whole nation."
Mr Gove also made clear that the government is not yet thinking about easing the lockdown enacted almost four weeks ago to help control the coronavirus outbreak.
"The facts and the advice are clear at the moment that we should not be thinking of lifting of these restrictions yet," he said.
"The facts and the advice are clear at the moment that we should not be thinking of lifting of these restrictions yet," he said.
'The Government was too slow to enter the lockdown'
Labour leader Sir Keir Stormed has accused the government of dragging its feet in dealing with the pandemic while calling for the publication of a “road map” out of current restrictions.
Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Sir Keir said: "The Government was too slow to enter the lockdown.
"It has been too slow to increase the number of people being tested.
"It has been too slow in getting NHS staff the critical equipment they need to keep them safe. We need to make sure these mistakes are not repeated.
"Other countries have begun to set out a road map to lift restrictions in certain sectors of the economy and for certain services, especially social care, when the time is right.
"This of course must be done in a careful, considered way with public health, scientific evidence and the safety of workers and families at its heart. But the UK Government should be doing likewise."
Labour leader Sir Keir Stormed has accused the government of dragging its feet in dealing with the pandemic while calling for the publication of a “road map” out of current restrictions.
Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Sir Keir said: "The Government was too slow to enter the lockdown.
"It has been too slow to increase the number of people being tested.
"It has been too slow in getting NHS staff the critical equipment they need to keep them safe. We need to make sure these mistakes are not repeated.
"Other countries have begun to set out a road map to lift restrictions in certain sectors of the economy and for certain services, especially social care, when the time is right.
"This of course must be done in a careful, considered way with public health, scientific evidence and the safety of workers and families at its heart. But the UK Government should be doing likewise."
Here are the front pages from Sunday 19 April:
News you may have missed
- PM failed to attend five Cobra meetings at start of outbreak
- PM failed to attend five Cobra meetings at start of outbreak
Ministers ask London Olympics boss to lead PPE drive as they scramble to solve shortfall
- ‘There is never an excuse not to share information’: Dr Deborah Birx attacks China over coronavirus during Trump briefing
- Frontline NHS staff deserve £29-per-day bonus, say Lib Dems
Read more below:
- ‘There is never an excuse not to share information’: Dr Deborah Birx attacks China over coronavirus during Trump briefing
- Frontline NHS staff deserve £29-per-day bonus, say Lib Dems
Read more below:
Labour have accused Boris Johnson of being “missing in action” after reports the prime minister skipped five emergency meetings on coronavirus at the start of the crisis, reports Whitehall editor Kate Devlin.
Micheal Gove rejected the allegation as “grotesque” but did not deny that Mr Johnson did not attend the Cobra meetings.
Mr Johnson, who is currently recovering from Covid-19 infection, is facing accusations that he was slow to respond at the start of the pandemic which have now claimed the lives of more than 15,000 Britons.
The prime minister only attended Cobra meetings on the virus after more than 40 people had been infected in the UK, according to The Sunday Times.
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said Mr Gove's warning that one or two aspects of The Sunday Times story were “off beam” was "possibly the weakest rebuttal of a detailed expose in British political history".
Read more below:
Micheal Gove rejected the allegation as “grotesque” but did not deny that Mr Johnson did not attend the Cobra meetings.
Mr Johnson, who is currently recovering from Covid-19 infection, is facing accusations that he was slow to respond at the start of the pandemic which have now claimed the lives of more than 15,000 Britons.
The prime minister only attended Cobra meetings on the virus after more than 40 people had been infected in the UK, according to The Sunday Times.
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said Mr Gove's warning that one or two aspects of The Sunday Times story were “off beam” was "possibly the weakest rebuttal of a detailed expose in British political history".
Read more below:
Japan outbreak continues to grow
Japan’s health ministry said 568 new cases of coronavirus were reported on Saturday, bringing the country’s domestic total to 10,361. A combined total including 712 others from a cruise ship quarantined near Tokyo earlier this year comes to 11,073, with 174 deaths.
The number of cases is still relatively small compared to the US and Europe, though questions have been raised over Japan’s limited testing capacity; it is believed actual infections are far more widespread.
Japan has finally started setting up additional testing centres in Tokyo and elsewhere, allowing primary care doctors to send suspected patients directly to testing stations rather than having them go through public health centres to screen eligibility, an earlier requirement that had prevented and delayed testing and treatment of many people.
Japan’s health ministry said 568 new cases of coronavirus were reported on Saturday, bringing the country’s domestic total to 10,361. A combined total including 712 others from a cruise ship quarantined near Tokyo earlier this year comes to 11,073, with 174 deaths.
The number of cases is still relatively small compared to the US and Europe, though questions have been raised over Japan’s limited testing capacity; it is believed actual infections are far more widespread.
Japan has finally started setting up additional testing centres in Tokyo and elsewhere, allowing primary care doctors to send suspected patients directly to testing stations rather than having them go through public health centres to screen eligibility, an earlier requirement that had prevented and delayed testing and treatment of many people.
'With countries across the planet grappling with lockdowns, it’s clear that there’s only one way to return to life as we knew it. As Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK’s chief scientific adviser, put it this week, vaccines are “the way out” of this global crisis.'
There are 86 projects across the globe trying to find a solution to the Covid-19 crisis. But, as experts tell health correspondent Shaun Lintern, there are challenges ahead – and safety concerns to be addressed.
Uncertainty over care home death figures, says sector leader
A care sector leader has said until widespread testing is carried out it will be difficult to know the number of people who have died with Covid-19 within the care system.
When asked on Sky News's Sophy Ridge On Sunday whether the official figures reflected reality, Nadra Ahmed, chairwoman of the National Care Association, said: "Until testing is done we don't know.
"There are expected deaths that will occur in services but without testing... it's very difficult to say where we are with the number of deaths."
She described care homes as a "home from home" where a lot of residents and their families will be worried about the unfolding news.
"We need to be responsible about how we reflect this, of course there will be deaths... but the numbers we won't be able to confirm until the data is analysed," she added.
A care sector leader has said until widespread testing is carried out it will be difficult to know the number of people who have died with Covid-19 within the care system.
When asked on Sky News's Sophy Ridge On Sunday whether the official figures reflected reality, Nadra Ahmed, chairwoman of the National Care Association, said: "Until testing is done we don't know.
"There are expected deaths that will occur in services but without testing... it's very difficult to say where we are with the number of deaths."
She described care homes as a "home from home" where a lot of residents and their families will be worried about the unfolding news.
"We need to be responsible about how we reflect this, of course there will be deaths... but the numbers we won't be able to confirm until the data is analysed," she added.
The National Care Forum has estimated that more than 4,000 elderly and disabled people have died from coronavirus across all residential and nursing homes.
'The prospects are very good, but it is clearly not completely certain'
Professor Sarah Gilbert, Professor of Vaccinology at Oxford University, who is leading a team developing a Covid-19 vaccine, said nobody can be sure that it is possible to find a workable vaccine.
She told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "That's why we have to do trials to find out. The prospects are very good, but it is clearly not completely certain."
Professor Gilbert said that her team has not immunised anyone yet, but they hope to start clinical trials towards the end of next week.
"We are waiting for the final safety tests to be done on the vaccine and the final approvals to be given."
In the meantime, permission has been given to recruit volunteers, take blood tests, explain the process and check their health status, she said.
"By the time we have all the approvals for the vaccine ready, we should have a good pool of volunteers to draw from and we should be able to get going quite quickly."
Professor Gilbert has previously said she was “80 per cent” confident that the vaccine her team is developing will work.
Professor Sarah Gilbert, Professor of Vaccinology at Oxford University, who is leading a team developing a Covid-19 vaccine, said nobody can be sure that it is possible to find a workable vaccine.
She told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "That's why we have to do trials to find out. The prospects are very good, but it is clearly not completely certain."
Professor Gilbert said that her team has not immunised anyone yet, but they hope to start clinical trials towards the end of next week.
"We are waiting for the final safety tests to be done on the vaccine and the final approvals to be given."
In the meantime, permission has been given to recruit volunteers, take blood tests, explain the process and check their health status, she said.
"By the time we have all the approvals for the vaccine ready, we should have a good pool of volunteers to draw from and we should be able to get going quite quickly."
Professor Gilbert has previously said she was “80 per cent” confident that the vaccine her team is developing will work.
‘The mountains are high and the emperor is far away, goes the Chinese proverb. Over the years, the chorus of warnings on the wildlife trade and sale of live animals has steadily grown louder.
‘For too long, governments across the world have made overtures to curb this crisis of animal rights, but they have turned a blind eye to the continued growth of the industry in their own backyards. The threat to public health has been known to us for centuries, even since the Black Death. But it is not going away.’
Evgeny Lebedev, the proprietor of The Independent and Evening Standard, speaks out as part of our ’Stop The Wildlife Trade’ campaign:
‘For too long, governments across the world have made overtures to curb this crisis of animal rights, but they have turned a blind eye to the continued growth of the industry in their own backyards. The threat to public health has been known to us for centuries, even since the Black Death. But it is not going away.’
Evgeny Lebedev, the proprietor of The Independent and Evening Standard, speaks out as part of our ’Stop The Wildlife Trade’ campaign:
Spain's daily death toll continues to slow
Spain's death toll from coronavirus has risen by 410, the country's health ministry said on Sunday, bringing the total to 20,453 deaths.
Spain's death toll from coronavirus has risen by 410, the country's health ministry said on Sunday, bringing the total to 20,453 deaths.
Today's figure is down from 565 on Saturday, continuing a gradual slowdown of Spain's daily death rate.
The number of overall coronavirus cases has increased to 195,944 from 191,726, the health ministry added.
'It's clear that the lockdown can't go on for much longer'
Infectious disease expert Sir Jeremy Farrar said he hopes some lockdown measures could begin to be lifted within around three or four weeks' time if the numbers of infections and hospital patients drop "dramatically".
Sir Jeremy, who is a member of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), told the Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: "I would hope they will get there in three-four weeks time because it's clear that the lockdown can't go on for much longer.
"The damage it's doing to all of our health and wellbeing, our mental health... the lockdown is damaging business and ultimately that's damaging all of our lives.
"So the lockdowns cannot go on forever, we must lift them as soon as we can but we can't lift them too soon and we can't just make arbitrary dates."
Sir Jeremy added that he thought that the UK was past the peak of the "first wave" of the virus.
"We should not see this as a discrete episode. I think the probability of what we must be planning for is that there would be further waves of this in the future.
"But for this first wave I think the number of new infections stabilised maybe a week or two ago, the number of hospitalisations maybe a week or so ago... we're probably just past the peak in many parts of this country, as is true in many parts of the world."
Infectious disease expert Sir Jeremy Farrar said he hopes some lockdown measures could begin to be lifted within around three or four weeks' time if the numbers of infections and hospital patients drop "dramatically".
Sir Jeremy, who is a member of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), told the Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: "I would hope they will get there in three-four weeks time because it's clear that the lockdown can't go on for much longer.
"The damage it's doing to all of our health and wellbeing, our mental health... the lockdown is damaging business and ultimately that's damaging all of our lives.
"So the lockdowns cannot go on forever, we must lift them as soon as we can but we can't lift them too soon and we can't just make arbitrary dates."
Sir Jeremy added that he thought that the UK was past the peak of the "first wave" of the virus.
"We should not see this as a discrete episode. I think the probability of what we must be planning for is that there would be further waves of this in the future.
"But for this first wave I think the number of new infections stabilised maybe a week or two ago, the number of hospitalisations maybe a week or so ago... we're probably just past the peak in many parts of this country, as is true in many parts of the world."
BREAKING: A shipment of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline NHS staff been delayed and will not arrive today, according to Sky News.
The government said last week that 84 tonnes of vital PPE, including 400,000 gowns, was set to be delivered from Turkey this weekend.
Sky News adds that the RAF had been ready to transport the equipment, with the cause of the delay not yet known.
