Robert Jenrick, the UK's housing minister, has admitted the government has "got to do more" to get personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontline workers, as he updated social distancing guidance for funerals on Saturday and announced councils had been told to keep parks open during the coronavirus lockdown.
The admission came as the UK's hospital death toll rose by 888 on Saturday and as unions warned NHS staff may refuse to work this weekend if there are not enough gowns and other equipment for them.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation has questioned whether antibody tests could help the UK end its lockdown, insisting they may not prove if someone is protected from reinfection. Britain has placed the tests – which check if someone has recovered from Covid-19 – at the centre of an eventual “back-to-work” plan to restart normal life.
Here are the day's events as they unfolded:
Good morning and welcome to the Independent’s rolling coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
Here are this morning's latest updates:
- The World Health Organisation has questioned whether antibody tests could help the UK end its lockdown, insisting they may not prove if someone is protected from reinfection. The UK has placed the tests - which check if someone has had Covid-19 - at the centre of an eventual "back-to-work" plan to restart normal life.
- Thousands of UK doctors and nurses are concerned about inadequate supplies of personal protection equipment (PPE) amid fears some hospitals could run out entirely this weekend. A British Medical Association (BMA) survey of more than 6,000 doctors across the country said a significant amount of them remain without the protection they need to guard against Covid-19.
- President Donald Trump has insisted deaths from Covid-19 are much higher in China than in the US, despite official statistics painting a far different picture. China has more than four times the population of the US but has reported far fewer deaths, around 4,600 compared with more than 32,000 in the United States as of late Friday afternoon.
- Hospitals in Japan are increasingly turning away sick people as the country struggles with surging coronavirus infections and its emergency medical system collapses. The Japanese Association for Acute Medicine and the Japanese Society for Emergency Medicine say many hospital emergency rooms are refusing to treat people including those suffering strokes, heart attacks and external injuries.
- A senior clinician at Britain's maiden Nightingale hospital has called for military expertise to help protect the mental health of staff and volunteers at the "exhausting" facility.
- Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases have risen by 3,609 to 137,439, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Saturday, marking a fourth straight day of a spike in new infections.
Here are this morning's latest updates:
- The World Health Organisation has questioned whether antibody tests could help the UK end its lockdown, insisting they may not prove if someone is protected from reinfection. The UK has placed the tests - which check if someone has had Covid-19 - at the centre of an eventual "back-to-work" plan to restart normal life.
- Thousands of UK doctors and nurses are concerned about inadequate supplies of personal protection equipment (PPE) amid fears some hospitals could run out entirely this weekend. A British Medical Association (BMA) survey of more than 6,000 doctors across the country said a significant amount of them remain without the protection they need to guard against Covid-19.
- President Donald Trump has insisted deaths from Covid-19 are much higher in China than in the US, despite official statistics painting a far different picture. China has more than four times the population of the US but has reported far fewer deaths, around 4,600 compared with more than 32,000 in the United States as of late Friday afternoon.
- Hospitals in Japan are increasingly turning away sick people as the country struggles with surging coronavirus infections and its emergency medical system collapses. The Japanese Association for Acute Medicine and the Japanese Society for Emergency Medicine say many hospital emergency rooms are refusing to treat people including those suffering strokes, heart attacks and external injuries.
- A senior clinician at Britain's maiden Nightingale hospital has called for military expertise to help protect the mental health of staff and volunteers at the "exhausting" facility.
- Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases have risen by 3,609 to 137,439, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Saturday, marking a fourth straight day of a spike in new infections.
'LIBERATE!'
US President Donald Trump has urged supporters to "LIBERATE" three states led by Democratic governors, apparently encouraging protests against stay-at-home restrictions.
This came as some states under Republican leadership edged toward easing up the mandates aimed at stopping the coronavirus.
A day after laying out a road map to gradually reopen the crippled economy, Mr Trump tweeted the kind of rhetoric some of his supporters have used to demand the lifting of the orders that have thrown millions of Americans out of work.
"LIBERATE MINNESOTA!" "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" "LIBERATE VIRGINIA," he said in a tweet-storm in which he also lashed out at New York governor Andrew Cuomo for criticising the federal response to the pandemic.
Mr Cuomo "should spend more time 'doing' and less time 'complaining,"' the president said.
Responding to pleas from governors for help from Washington in ramping up testing for the virus, Mr Trump put the burden back on them: "The States have to step up their TESTING!"
US President Donald Trump has urged supporters to "LIBERATE" three states led by Democratic governors, apparently encouraging protests against stay-at-home restrictions.
This came as some states under Republican leadership edged toward easing up the mandates aimed at stopping the coronavirus.
A day after laying out a road map to gradually reopen the crippled economy, Mr Trump tweeted the kind of rhetoric some of his supporters have used to demand the lifting of the orders that have thrown millions of Americans out of work.
"LIBERATE MINNESOTA!" "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" "LIBERATE VIRGINIA," he said in a tweet-storm in which he also lashed out at New York governor Andrew Cuomo for criticising the federal response to the pandemic.
Mr Cuomo "should spend more time 'doing' and less time 'complaining,"' the president said.
Responding to pleas from governors for help from Washington in ramping up testing for the virus, Mr Trump put the burden back on them: "The States have to step up their TESTING!"
Confirmed cases in Japan rises to 10,000
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Japan rose to 10,000 on Saturday, NHK public broadcaster said, just days after a state of emergency was extended to the entire nation in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus.
Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe on Friday appealed to the nation to stay indoors as new cases hit a record in the capital of Tokyo and fears medical services could fail in rural areas that are home to many elderly prompted the expansion of the state of emergency from an original seven areas.
Just over 200 people have died from the virus in Japan, but Tokyo remains the hardest-hit area, reporting 201 new infections on Friday alone - a new record.
Tokyo reported 181 new cases on Saturday, NHK reported.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Japan rose to 10,000 on Saturday, NHK public broadcaster said, just days after a state of emergency was extended to the entire nation in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus.
Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe on Friday appealed to the nation to stay indoors as new cases hit a record in the capital of Tokyo and fears medical services could fail in rural areas that are home to many elderly prompted the expansion of the state of emergency from an original seven areas.
Just over 200 people have died from the virus in Japan, but Tokyo remains the hardest-hit area, reporting 201 new infections on Friday alone - a new record.
Tokyo reported 181 new cases on Saturday, NHK reported.
‘The real question is will it have efficacy’
Professor Sir John bell, a member of the government's vaccine taskforce, was asked this morning on the Today programme whether he thought a vaccine would be available by autumn.
"The real question is will it have efficacy,” he replied. "Will it protect people, and that has not been tested and it will only be tested once you have vaccinated a significant number of people and exposed them to the virus and counted how many people have got the virus in that population.
"So, we won't even get a signal for that until May.
"But if things go on course and it does have efficacy, then I think it is reasonable to think that they would be able to complete their trial by mid-August."
Professor Sarah Gilbert, of Oxford University, has meanwhile said she is hopeful of identifying a vaccine by September, but other experts fear that inoculations will not be available until well into 2021.
Professor Sir John bell, a member of the government's vaccine taskforce, was asked this morning on the Today programme whether he thought a vaccine would be available by autumn.
"The real question is will it have efficacy,” he replied. "Will it protect people, and that has not been tested and it will only be tested once you have vaccinated a significant number of people and exposed them to the virus and counted how many people have got the virus in that population.
"So, we won't even get a signal for that until May.
"But if things go on course and it does have efficacy, then I think it is reasonable to think that they would be able to complete their trial by mid-August."
Professor Sarah Gilbert, of Oxford University, has meanwhile said she is hopeful of identifying a vaccine by September, but other experts fear that inoculations will not be available until well into 2021.
A 17-year-old boy was seriously injured when he was hit by a motorcycle after 150 people flouted coronavirus lockdown guidance to attend a funeral, reports Peter Stubley.
Kent Police said they allowed the gathering in Sittingbourne to go ahead because they were given “very little notice” and wanted to allow mourners the opportunity to grieve.
However there were reports of “disruptive and anti-social riding” by the large number of motorcyclists at the funeral and two men aged 24 and 32 were arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and driving without a licence.
The 17-year-old was attending the funeral on foot and was hit by a bike at about 10.40am on Thursday. He was taken to hospital with head injuries and remains in a critical condition.
Read more below:
Kent Police said they allowed the gathering in Sittingbourne to go ahead because they were given “very little notice” and wanted to allow mourners the opportunity to grieve.
However there were reports of “disruptive and anti-social riding” by the large number of motorcyclists at the funeral and two men aged 24 and 32 were arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and driving without a licence.
The 17-year-old was attending the funeral on foot and was hit by a bike at about 10.40am on Thursday. He was taken to hospital with head injuries and remains in a critical condition.
Read more below:
WHO issues warning over antibody tests
The World Health Organisation has questioned whether antibody tests could help the UK ends its lockdown, insisting they may not prove if someone is protected from reinfection.
Britain has placed the tests – which check if someone has had Covid-19 – at the centre of an eventual “back-to-work” plan to restart normal life.
The World Health Organisation has questioned whether antibody tests could help the UK ends its lockdown, insisting they may not prove if someone is protected from reinfection.
Britain has placed the tests – which check if someone has had Covid-19 – at the centre of an eventual “back-to-work” plan to restart normal life.
There is currently no evidence to support the belief that people who have recovered from coronavirus then have immunity, the WHO said.
Speaking at a press conference in Geneva, Dr Maria van Kerkhove said: "There are a lot of countries that are suggesting using rapid diagnostic serological tests to be able to capture what they think will be a measure of immunity.
"Right now, we have no evidence that the use of a serological test can show that an individual has immunity or is protected from reinfection."
Senior WHO epidemiologists issued the warning amid rising hopes that have been placed on the antibody tests.
The British government has bought 3.5 million serology tests, which measure levels of antibodies in blood plasma, even though they are not definitive of growing levels of herd immunity.
Many tests being developed are pin prick blood tests similar to widely used instant HIV tests and measure for raised levels of the antibodies the body uses to fight the virus.
A leaked email sent to NHS trusts warns most will run out of gowns this weekend and will not have “sustainable” levels again until the middle of June, The Independent can reveal.
The warning was sounded by a military liaison officer brought in by the government after the coronavirus pandemic was declared a national emergency.
The email was sent to hospitals and other NHS trusts as Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said he could not guarantee hospitals would have enough personal protective equipment (PPE) to get through the weekend.
Within hours doctors and nurses were asked to treat patients without gowns, where necessary, and use plastic aprons as an alternative.
The previous guidance for healthcare workers had been to wear full-length waterproof surgical gowns to protect against transfer of the virus.
Whitehall editor Kate Devlin and health correspondent Shaun Lintern report:
The warning was sounded by a military liaison officer brought in by the government after the coronavirus pandemic was declared a national emergency.
The email was sent to hospitals and other NHS trusts as Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said he could not guarantee hospitals would have enough personal protective equipment (PPE) to get through the weekend.
Within hours doctors and nurses were asked to treat patients without gowns, where necessary, and use plastic aprons as an alternative.
The previous guidance for healthcare workers had been to wear full-length waterproof surgical gowns to protect against transfer of the virus.
Whitehall editor Kate Devlin and health correspondent Shaun Lintern report:
Medical surveys highlight scale of PPE shortages in UK
A British Medical Association (BMA) survey of more than 6,000 doctors across the UK has found a significant amount of them remain without the protection they need to guard against Covid-19.
A British Medical Association (BMA) survey of more than 6,000 doctors across the UK has found a significant amount of them remain without the protection they need to guard against Covid-19.
Under a third of doctors working in high risk areas - aerosol-general procedure (AGP) areas - and other non-AGP hospital settings said they were sometimes pressurised to work without adequate protection, while 50 per cent of doctors working in AGP areas said there were shortages of, or no supply at all of, long-sleeved disposable gowns and disposable goggles.
And 56 per cent said the same regarding full-face visors. Scrubs and eye protections were in short supply, or not available, in other hospital settings, 52 per cent of doctors said.
Meanwhile another survey by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) found half of nurses have felt pressure to work without appropriate protective equipment during the crisis.
It comes after it was revealed that doctors and nurses in England will be asked to work without full-length gowns and to reuse items when treating coronavirus patients ahead of expected shortages of protective garments, prompting outrage from unions.
Taiwan places 700 sailors into quarantine
Taiwan will put 700 navy sailors into quarantine after three cases of Covid-19 were confirmed among sailors who had been on a goodwill mission to the Pacific island state of Palau, the government said on Saturday.
Three Taiwan navy vessels visited Palau - one of only 15 countries to maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan - in the middle of March, before returning to Taiwan a month later, health minister Chen Shih-chung told reporters.
The three confirmed cases had all shared quarters on the same ship, but all 700 sailors on all three ships were being re-called and would be put into quarantine, he said.
Taiwan has only reported 398 coronavirus cases and six deaths, a far lower number than many of its neighbours due to strict measures taken in the early stages of the outbreak to contain its spread.
Taiwan will put 700 navy sailors into quarantine after three cases of Covid-19 were confirmed among sailors who had been on a goodwill mission to the Pacific island state of Palau, the government said on Saturday.
Three Taiwan navy vessels visited Palau - one of only 15 countries to maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan - in the middle of March, before returning to Taiwan a month later, health minister Chen Shih-chung told reporters.
The three confirmed cases had all shared quarters on the same ship, but all 700 sailors on all three ships were being re-called and would be put into quarantine, he said.
Taiwan has only reported 398 coronavirus cases and six deaths, a far lower number than many of its neighbours due to strict measures taken in the early stages of the outbreak to contain its spread.
'The sun will shine on you again'
Captain Tom Moore has now raised more than £21m in donations for the NHS Charities Together through his ‘100th birthday walk’.
Captain Tom Moore has now raised more than £21m in donations for the NHS Charities Together through his ‘100th birthday walk’.
The 99-year-old Second World War veteran, who completed his pledged 100 lengths of his garden on Thursday, originally only aimed to raise £1,000 to support healthcare workers.
But after contributions from nearly 1 million people around the world the target was reviewed to £500,000 – the final amount raised is now more than 42 times that.
After completing the challenge on Thursday, Capt Moore said to everyone struggling during the coronavirus pandemic that “at the end of the day we shall all be ok. The sun will shine on you again and the clouds will go away”.
Read more below:
Confirmed cases continue to rise among Singapore's migrant workers
Singapore's health ministry confirmed 942 more coronavirus infections on Saturday, a new daily record, the vast majority of which are among migrant workers living in dormitories.
Singapore's health ministry confirmed 942 more coronavirus infections on Saturday, a new daily record, the vast majority of which are among migrant workers living in dormitories.
Authorities have managed to mitigate the spread of the virus and the Covid-19 respiratory disease it causes among Singapore's citizens by rigorous contact tracing and surveillance, earning praise from the World Health Organisation.
The Ministry of Health reported just 14 cases among Singaporeans and permanent residents on Saturday.
But the disease is spreading rapidly within the large migrant worker community, highlighting what rights groups say is a weak link in containment efforts. Authorities have ramped up testing for the disease in the dormitories.
Saturday's new cases takes the total in the city-state, which is under a partial lockdown, to 5,992. It has reported 11 deaths from the disease.
'The West cannot do without China, even if it wished to. Both sides have their grievances, but all are amenable to normal diplomatic agreement and cooperation through existing forums such as the G20.
'As China’s economy has crashed and it too has lost so many lives as we get through this crisis, Beijing and Washington may come to realise that they have more in common than that which divides them.'
With the UK becoming the latest western government to question its relationship with China, having insisted it will not be "business as usual" once the pandemic passes, The Independent reflects on a perilous and fragile world order:
Russian death toll rises
Russia's death toll from coronavirus has risen to 313, according to officials, as the country posted a new record daily jump in new cases.
Russia's death toll from coronavirus has risen to 313, according to officials, as the country posted a new record daily jump in new cases.
Authorities reported 4,785 new cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number to 36,793.
Moscow, which became the epicentre of Russia's coronavirus outbreak and was also the first region in the country to introduce a lockdown, recorded 2,649 new cases, and 21 new deaths, the Russian coronavirus crisis response centre said.
Coronavirus infections in Russia began rising sharply this month, although it had reported far fewer infections than many western European countries in the outbreak's early stages.
Iran starts gradual easing of restrictions
Iran has allowed some businesses in the capital and nearby towns to re-open on Saturday after weeks of lockdown aimed at containing the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East.
Iran was slow to respond to the pandemic and held off on imposing widespread restrictions even after other countries in the region with far fewer cases forced most businesses to close. Iran has reported more than 80,000 confirmed cases and over 5,000 deaths.
Gyms, restaurants, shopping centres and Tehran's grand bazaar will remain closed. Shrines and mosques are also shuttered, and a ban on public gatherings remains in place. Government offices have reopened with a third of employees working from home, and schools and universities are still closed.
Iran has allowed some businesses in the capital and nearby towns to re-open on Saturday after weeks of lockdown aimed at containing the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East.
Iran was slow to respond to the pandemic and held off on imposing widespread restrictions even after other countries in the region with far fewer cases forced most businesses to close. Iran has reported more than 80,000 confirmed cases and over 5,000 deaths.
Gyms, restaurants, shopping centres and Tehran's grand bazaar will remain closed. Shrines and mosques are also shuttered, and a ban on public gatherings remains in place. Government offices have reopened with a third of employees working from home, and schools and universities are still closed.
Ministers have to move fast if they want to use contact tracing to lift the lockdown next month, a former health secretary has warned, reports Whitehall editor Kate Devlin.
Jeremy Hunt said South Korea has more than 1,000 people working on tracing, compared to fewer than 300 in the UK before the government halted the policy in March as coronavirus spread.
A “massive expansion” in the tracking of those suspected of having Covid-19 is needed, Mr Hunt said.
Mr Hunt said he was “concerned” and that major decisions on how the UK would resume widespread contact tracing had to be taken “very, very quickly”.
“If we want the Cabinet to have the option of raising the lockdown in three weeks time, then we have really got to get cracking,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Read more:
Jeremy Hunt said South Korea has more than 1,000 people working on tracing, compared to fewer than 300 in the UK before the government halted the policy in March as coronavirus spread.
A “massive expansion” in the tracking of those suspected of having Covid-19 is needed, Mr Hunt said.
Mr Hunt said he was “concerned” and that major decisions on how the UK would resume widespread contact tracing had to be taken “very, very quickly”.
“If we want the Cabinet to have the option of raising the lockdown in three weeks time, then we have really got to get cracking,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Read more:
Africa death toll passes 1,000 mark
Africa now has more than 1,000 deaths from Covid-19, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
A total of 52 of the continent's 54 countries have reported the virus, with the overall number of cases more than 19,800 as of Saturday morning.
The World Health Organisation has noted a 51 per cent increase in cases in Africa and a 60 per cent jump in deaths.
But the WHO chief has warned that because of a shortage of testing "it's likely the real numbers are higher than reported".
The Africa CDC has said more than one million test kits will be rolled out starting next week.
Africa now has more than 1,000 deaths from Covid-19, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
A total of 52 of the continent's 54 countries have reported the virus, with the overall number of cases more than 19,800 as of Saturday morning.
The World Health Organisation has noted a 51 per cent increase in cases in Africa and a 60 per cent jump in deaths.
But the WHO chief has warned that because of a shortage of testing "it's likely the real numbers are higher than reported".
The Africa CDC has said more than one million test kits will be rolled out starting next week.
Britain’s biggest travel firm has decided to make the process of obtaining a refund more difficult for the hundreds of thousands of customers whose trips have been cancelled, reports travel correspondent Simon Calder.
Tui customers are now asked to provide the company with an interest-free loan for over a year.
Under the Package Travel Regulations, Tui is required to provide a full cash refund within two weeks of cancelling a departure.
Like almost all holiday firms, it is unable to meet the 14-day deadline, and many customers have expressed anger on social media about the delays.
Tui customers are now asked to provide the company with an interest-free loan for over a year.
Under the Package Travel Regulations, Tui is required to provide a full cash refund within two weeks of cancelling a departure.
Like almost all holiday firms, it is unable to meet the 14-day deadline, and many customers have expressed anger on social media about the delays.
Read more below:
Early release scheme paused after six prisoners mistakenly freed
A programme to free prisoners early to help jails cope with coronavirus has been paused after six inmates were released by mistake.
The low-risk offenders were candidates for early release but were let out too soon after an "administrative error", the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said.
After the flaw was spotted, they all "returned compliantly to prison", a spokeswoman added.
The early release scheme, designed to avoid thousands of often cell-sharing inmates becoming infected, was paused on Thursday and is due to resume next week.
Coronavirus cases have been confirmed in half of the prisons in England and Wales.
A programme to free prisoners early to help jails cope with coronavirus has been paused after six inmates were released by mistake.
The low-risk offenders were candidates for early release but were let out too soon after an "administrative error", the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said.
After the flaw was spotted, they all "returned compliantly to prison", a spokeswoman added.
The early release scheme, designed to avoid thousands of often cell-sharing inmates becoming infected, was paused on Thursday and is due to resume next week.
Coronavirus cases have been confirmed in half of the prisons in England and Wales.
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Fraudsters cashing in on pandemic to tune of £2 million
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Local councils face financial collapse in face of pandemic, town halls warn
Local authorities say that rising outlays caused by the coronavirus outbreak – such as increasing social care capacity – have been exacerbated by a loss of income from money-making services such as parking and leisure centres.
Football league games to be resumed
Football league games to be resumed
All matches in the English Football League – comprising the Championship, League One and League Two – are set to be resumed behind closed doors, the EFL has suggested.
Read more below:
Read more below:
Confirmed cases rise in Malaysia and Indonesia
Malaysian health officials reported 54 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, the lowest daily increase since the government imposed curbs on movement and business on 18 March, taking the cumulative total to 5,305.
The health ministry also reported two new deaths, bringing total fatalities to 88.
Elsewhere, 325 new coronavirus cases were recorded in Indonesia, bringing the total number of infections in the world's fourth most populous country to 6,248.
Health ministry official Achmad Yurianto also reported 15 new deaths, taking the total to 535.
On Friday, Indonesia surpassed Philippines to become the country with the highest number of infections in southeast Asia. It has the most number of deaths in Asia outside of China.
Malaysian health officials reported 54 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, the lowest daily increase since the government imposed curbs on movement and business on 18 March, taking the cumulative total to 5,305.
The health ministry also reported two new deaths, bringing total fatalities to 88.
Elsewhere, 325 new coronavirus cases were recorded in Indonesia, bringing the total number of infections in the world's fourth most populous country to 6,248.
Health ministry official Achmad Yurianto also reported 15 new deaths, taking the total to 535.
On Friday, Indonesia surpassed Philippines to become the country with the highest number of infections in southeast Asia. It has the most number of deaths in Asia outside of China.
