Evening summary
- The UK experienced its deadliest day of the pandemic yet with a record 980 more deaths – exceeding that of Italy at its peak of 969 deaths on 27 March – and bringing the total number of deaths in hospital of patients who had tested positive for Covid-19 to 8,958.
- The public has been told the country remains “in a dangerous phase” of the outbreak and has not yet reached its peak – so physical distancing this Easter bank holiday weekend remains crucial and people must stay at home.
- Boris Johnson is now “able to do short walks” as his condition during his coronavirus recovery “continues to improve”. The prime minister is back on a ward at St Thomas’ hospital after being discharged from the intensive care unit.
- The health secretary Matt Hancock said that from next week every NHS hospital will receive a supply of PPE on a daily basis. Over the next three weeks, he said an online portal will be rolled out allowing primary care and social care to request PPE from a central inventory, so demand can be tracked and deliveries made according to need.
- Downing Street said it was “confident” the housing secretary Robert Jenrick had complied with physical distancing rules after he came under fire for driving 40 miles to drop off food and medicine to his elderly parents.
- Nicola Sturgeon pledged a bailout for Scottish universities, a day after St Andrews revealed it had lost £25m and faced its worst financial crisis in recent history.
- And in a difficult day for police forces, Cambridgeshire police caused a stir online after a now-deleted tweet appeared to suggest that officers were checking “non-essential aisles” in a local supermarket, while South Yorkshire police apologised after a man was reprimanded for using his own front lawn. This came a day after comments by a chief constable from another force – in which suggested officers could search shopping trolleys if people kept flouting social distancing rules – were deemed “not appropriate” by Priti Patel, the home secretary.
A huge thank you to everybody who got in touch today with a story and to all of you for reading along.
That’s it from us here on the UK side, but you can head over to our global live blog where our worldwide coverage of the coronavirus pandemic continues.
Updated
The latest episode of Anywhere but Westminster went up today and it’s an especially eye-opening one.
John and John speak to families who are on the brink, grappling with the everyday experience of living in confinement, dealing with everything from autism to living in small houses and properties without outdoor space.
You can watch the full episode here.
Updated
The NHS coronavirus volunteer scheme is taking longer than expected to implement, according to officials.
The extraordinary willingness of the British public to help out has been considered one of the few bright points of the crisis, but only a few thousand tasks are being carried out around the country so far.
Neil Churchill, an NHS England administrator working on the volunteer team, posted on a Facebook group for volunteer helpers on Friday morning, explaining “why it’s taking time for you to get your first tasks”.
The official said there were “a lot more [identities] to check” than initially expected – and it was only after that that “we ask people in the NHS to make referrals”. But NHS staff have also been slow to call for the volunteers to assist.
Churchill said:
It just takes time for info to get through to every GP practice, every pharmacist and every discharge team. Referrals are in the thousands right now and we expect they will be in the tens of thousands soon.
Volunteers are registered on the Good SAM app and when signed in wait for an alert indicating a job needs doing. But Facebook groups for volunteers are full of people expressing disappointment that they had waited hours without being tasked.
Melanie Westell, 41, from Kent, said she had signed up to volunteer two and a half weeks ago and last Friday she was told she had been accepted. She added:
I have been on duty for 87 hours over the last week and have not had anything come through.
The only thing I can put it down to is that when doctors or pharmacies, for example, refer vulnerable people to the service they have to fill out a form for all the services they may need.
Updated
Hancock said there is still a “lot of work” needed to reach the target he set of 100,000 daily Covid-19 tests by the end of April.
Asked how he expects to achieve this, he said:
We have had a huge number of offers from people who have come to us and said: ‘We can turn this facility, which hasn’t been a coronavirus testing facility, into a coronavirus testing facility’.
Hancock said some of the centres that had been offered included ones the government did not know about.
We are working 24/7 to hit it [the target]. Everyone can see the daily trajectory, which has almost doubled since I set it, and we’ve clearly got a lot of work to get to our 100,000, but we are on track.
Updated
Asked about reports that he has been holding meetings of between 10 and 20 people in person, Hancock said he works from home when he can and is making use of video-conferencing.
He said that when he does come into the office he follows social distancing guidelines.
Van-Tam was asked about oxygen supplies and he said:
This disease is unlike anything I’ve seen in my almost three decades in medicine.
It is really, really unusual in that the requirement for patients who are hospitalised to have oxygen is very high.
And sorry to go back to the hosepipe analogy, but if everyone in a certain area turns on their sprinkler in the garden at the same time, the water pressure will go down for a while.
He said it is a “logistic and engineering challenge” to create thousands of extra intensive care beds with ventilators, and also secure the oxygen supply that goes behind them.
Now, I do know that there has been absolutely enormous logistic work 24/7 behind the scenes to keep hospitals supplied with oxygen.
But you’re right, we have seen one or two reports of where something has gone slightly wrong with an oxygen supply.
And that’s partly about the stress on the whole engineering system of a hospital, that is required to produce the oxygen demands for double the number of ventilators, and we have to learn as we go along, and our engineers have to adapt.
And you are going to see these isolated incidents and we’ll learn from them. But oxygen supply – you’re right to flag it, it’s an unprecedented demand with this virus.
Updated
May called it “frustrating” that people were continuing to flout physical distancing rules. She said:
The reason that is frustrating is because there’s also still occasions where my colleagues are getting abuse from their neighbours for driving off to work.
Sam, a nurse in a mental health organisation in the east of England, had grief from her neighbours because she was travelling to work.
Our nurses, our healthcare staff, need to be able to get to work, it’s right and proper they do, but I ask of everybody: please stay at home, save lives and protect my staff.
Updated
Van-Tam said scientists had been clear that closing borders “would not work” as a measure to prevent the ingress of coronavirus into the UK.
I understand the point you’re making and I see where you’re coming from, in terms of when we get this under control, doesn’t that change the situation?
But [it] won’t go from a position of widespread community transmission amongst our own people to a position of zero transmission amongst our own people, which of course was the case back in December 2019.
We will likely go back to low levels of transmission and the virus will continue to be here, in and around us in our communities, I suspect, for a very long time, even if we can keep the levels right down.
Updated
They are taking questions from the media now.
On the issue of face masks, Hancock said the government will “follow the science”, which he says states they “don’t have a material impact outside of those settings which Public Health England have set out”.
He added:
But also here we are following the international evidence too.
The World Health Organization have themselves looked into this very recently, and came to the conclusion that face masks should be saved for those in health and care who really need them.
So it is not a risk-free option to have face masks, for everybody to wear face masks, because that means that it’s harder to get hold of face masks for the people where the science says that they’re needed.
Updated
The number of deaths is broadly in line with what is happening in other countries, Van-Tam says.
Updated
With the number of people in critical care, the overall trend has remained the same, says Van-Tam.
There may be some signs that the curve is beginning to bend but it’s premature, absolutely, to say that we’re at a peak.
The push that we’re making with social distancing has to continue.
Updated
With the number of people occupying hospital beds who have been diagnosed with Covid-19, the curve is “bending”, says Van-Tam.
It’s impossible to say that we have peaked. London has gone down in the last day, but the north-east and Yorkshire have gone up.
The curve is beginning to bend and your hard work is beginning to pay off, but this needs to continue.
Updated
The number of new cases is at a high level and the number is varying day by day, says Van-Tam.
We are in a dangerous phase still and I must reinforce to you that this is not over.
Updated
Van-Tam is speaking now.
Transport use has stayed at low levels in all forms. This must keep going – “this is not over”, he said.
We need to take the pain now to make the gain in a few weeks’ time.
Alongside the new NHS hospitals in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Harrogate and Bristol; Sunderland and Exeter will soon have Nightingale hospitals too.
May is speaking now.
She says staying at home is saving lives.
The actions that you take this weekend will have consequences.
Remember the sacrifices that others are making. Countless others will not be home this weekend because they are working in a hospital or in a social care setting saving patients’ lives.
She also thanks key workers for the work they are doing that allows health and social care staff to keep working.
Updated
Hancock has once again urged people to stay at home this bank holiday weekend.
Stay at home, because spreading the virus today risks lives tomorrow.
Do it for the NHS, do it for the people you love.
The third strand is future supply – ensuring there is enough PPE to see us through the crisis, Hancock says.
New supply lines are being established from across the world, buying directly from manufacturers according to standards.
Domestic production will also be ramped up. Many businesses have come forward to repurpose their production lines to meet needs.
In particular, Hancock has thanked Burberry, Rolls-Royce and McLaren, Ineos and Diageo for their efforts.
He invites other businesses to contact the government if they can do the same.
Updated
NHS hospitals will receive daily supplies of PPE next week, says Hancock
The second strand is distribution – making sure that anyone who needs PPE can get it at the right time.
Hancock called this a “herculean logistical effort” bringing together the NHS, private industry and the armed forces to create a “giant” PPE network on an “unprecedented” scale.
That network is now delivering daily to the frontline. So far more than 752m pieces of PPE have been delivered.
Every NHS hospital has received a supply of PPE once every 72 hours – from next week this will be daily.
In the coming weeks, PPE delivery systems will be scaled up further. Over the next three weeks an online portal will be rolled out allowing primary care and social care to request PPE from a central inventory, so demand can be tracked and deliveries made according to need.
Updated
Government publishes PPE plan
Today the government has published its PPE plan, which has three strands, Hancock said.
Strand one is on guidance – who needs PPE, when they need it, and who does not.
That means only using it when there is a clinical need and not using more than is needed.
The new guidance included the clinical advice that many items of PPE can be used for a whole session, not be changed after treating each individual patient.
Outside of health and social care, the best way to protect yourself and others is regularly hand-washing and keeping 2 metres apart – and to stay at home.
Updated
Hancock has set a goal that everyone working in a critical role will get the PPE they need to protect themselves.
He noted the huge international demand on global supplies of PPE.
There is also high demand for PPE within the UK, so everyone should use “no more and no less” than what they clinically need.
In normal times the NHS supply chain for PPE provides equipment to 233 hospital trusts. Right now, 58,000 separate health and care providers need PPE.
Updated
Yesterday, Hancock said he opened a mega-lab in Milton Keynes. Two more are on track, one in Cheshire and Glasgow.
AstraZeneca and GSK are opening another in Cambridge.
Updated
There are now 15 drive-through testing centres for NHS staff including in Glasgow, London and Plymouth.
Hancock said there is now capacity for “all key social care staff and NHS staff” who need to be tested to get tested.
UK sees record daily rise in deaths, up 980 to 8,958
The health secretary said that yesterday, 19,116 tests were carried out across the UK, from which 5,706 people tested positive.
The number of people currently in hospital with symptoms is 19,304.
8,958 people who tested positive have died in hospital, an increase of 980 since yesterday.
This is more than the worst daily rise recorded by Italy, which was 969.
Updated
The prime minister’s condition “continues to improve” and he wants to thank the entire clinical team who have treated him.
Hancock is speaking now.
This Easter will be another test of the nation’s resolve, he said.
However warm the weather, however tempting your local beach or park, we need everyone to stay at home.
Daily news conference
The government’s daily coronavirus press briefing is due to begin shortly and will be fronted by the health secretary Matt Hancock.
He will be joined by the deputy chief medical officer for England, Jonathan Van-Tam and the chief nursing officer for England, Ruth May.
Updated
Boris Johnson 'able to do short walks' as coronavirus recovery continues
Boris Johnson has “been able to do short walks” as part of his recovery and has spoken to his doctors and medical team to thank them for “the incredible care” he has received, Downing Street has said.
The prime minister is back on a ward at St Thomas’ Hospital after being discharged from the intensive care unit where he was being treated for Covid-19.
A No 10 spokesman said:
The Prime Minister has been able to do short walks, between periods of rest, as part of the care he is receiving to aid his recovery.
He has spoken to his doctors and thanks the whole clinical team for the incredible care he has received.
His thoughts are with those affected by this terrible disease.
Updated
United Private Hire Drivers, the representative body for UK private hire drivers, has initiated a legal challenge against what it has deemed central and local government failure to protect licensed private hire drivers and their passengers from Covid-19 infection.
Launching an emergency Crowdjustice campaign to raise the funds necessary to apply for a judicial review at the high court, the organisation has called on the health secretary, Matt Hancock, and the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to urge the government to introduce safety standards for private operators.
BREAKING: UPHD launches emergency legal action to force government to introduce Covid-19 safety standards for Uber and other private hire operators https://t.co/7xS815pxhV
— UPHD (@United_PHD) April 10, 2020
UPHD said the action comes after one member died after contracting coronavirus and another two have become seriously ill. Ayub Akthar passed away last week due to complications relating to Covid-19. Abdurzak Hadi became seriously ill but is now recovering.
Transport for London and other licensing authorities have not insisted upon separation distance requirements, PPE, detailed safety protocols and driver training. In contrast, UPHD highlights how the Dutch authorities have introduced emergency regulations to control the risk of Covid-19 infection in cabs by enforcing a 1.5 metre separation, mandatory use of personal protection equipment, sanitation routines and limiting service to one passenger at a time.
🚨🚨Please support our emergency appeal for legal action to force @MattHancock @TfLTPH & @SadiqKhan to take action to protect Uber drivers & their NHS passengers from Covid-19 risk. Not one more Uber driver should die because of regulatory failure. 🚨🚨https://t.co/rWCKNWCwy4
— UPHD (@United_PHD) April 10, 2020
Private hire operators such as Uber and Addison Lee have targeted NHS staff with free and discounted journeys during this time of pandemic. UPHD said although this is welcome, it presents significant mutual risk for passengers and drivers and, as a result, regulatory action is needed to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus in licensed private hire vehicles.
James Farrar, chair of UPHD, said:
In an industry rife with worker rights abuse, the government must act quickly to put appropriate controls in place and if they do not, we will take legal action. We are prepared to do whatever it takes to make sure no driver dies because of corporate greed and regulatory inaction.
Simon Cox, a barrister from Doughty Street Chambers, said:
Key workers and members of the public making necessary journeys need private hire drivers. The health secretary has made draconian regulations against shops and members of the public, to protect the right to life.
But no regulations have been made against private hire operators like Uber. They operate without any laws requiring them to protect their passengers and drivers from Covid-19. The government must urgently use its powers to regulate private hire operators.
Updated
Experts in the US have warned of a potential rise in suicides as a result of public health measures to tackle the spread of Covid-19.
Writing in the journal JAMA psychiatry, the team said their warning does not mean such measures should not be used, but it is important suicide prevention is enhanced.
Among their concerns, the trio of researchers from the University of Washington and Florida State University note the impact of the coronavirus on businesses, writing:
Economic downturns are usually associated with higher suicide rates compared with periods of relative prosperity.
Experts have already warned that mass unemployment in the US could result in widespread mental health problems.
The new article also reports that physical distancing could be problematic. “Suicidal thoughts and behaviours are associated with social isolation and loneliness,” they write, adding that approaches to staying connected through technology should be promoted.
Among other concerns, the trio suggest measures such as school closures may make it harder for people to keep appointments for mental health treatment – with the team arguing for interventions including better screening of Covid-19 patients for mental health problems, and remote suicide prevention schemes.
Additionally the team say healthcare professionals have an elevated risk of suicide, and call for greater support for those on the frontline of the pandemic.
It is not the first time such concerns have been raised. In the UK it was announced this week that NHS staff will be offered free mental health support to help them cope with the situation.
Responding to the article, an NHS England spokesperson said:
The NHS is pulling out all the stops to respond to the biggest global health threat in a century, while also ensuring people can still access the mental health services they need.
There is capacity across the country to treat all those needing mental health support and 24/7 NHS crisis lines are ramping up across the country so we urge everyone to continue to come forward for essential and urgent care.
Prof Rory O’Connor of the Suicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory at the University of Glasgow welcomed the study, saying it chimed with ongoing work in the UK. But, he said, mental health consequences of the pandemic will not affect everyone equally:
Those who are already vulnerable, including those who are socially disadvantaged and those with pre-existing mental health conditions are most at risk of suicide. We need to prioritise and shield the most vulnerable.
O’Connor added that his own team has launched a study to identify who is most at risk of suicide and how to mitigate such risks.
Rises in suicide and self-harm are not inevitable, especially if we act urgently. I urge the government to ensure that protecting the mental health of the nation is central to the Covid-19 response.
In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted 24 hours a day on 116 123 or by emailing jo@samaritans.org, while they have also put together information regarding mental health during the coronavirus outbreak here.
Updated
Following a degree of backlash after The Times reported (paywall) that our elected representatives are being offered £10,000 for additional office costs incurred as a result of the pandemic by parliament’s expenses authority, several MPs have taken to social media to clarify that this money is not “extra pay” for politicians.
Rather than being to help MPs work from home – as it has been framed in some reports – the money is available to be claimed in order to buy additional equipment such as laptops and printers for staff who are now having to work from home during the lockdown. This is on top of the £26,000 MPs can claim to cover office costs.
The extra funds will be available until March 2021 and come with a relaxation of the rules on evidence of purchases.
In guidance, published last month, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) said it was “committed to supporting MPs and their staff to carry on with their work as far as possible” during this “uncertain and challenging time for the country”.
This thread is from the Labour MP Nadia Whittome:
£10k emergency contingency budget available to MPs’ staff:
— Nadia Whittome MP (@NadiaWhittomeMP) April 10, 2020
- MPs do not receive any £
- It is for staff working from home who do not have their own IT equipment
- It is only available for this purpose *IF* necessary
- It has to be accounted for and claims are published
This is from the Conservative MP Julie Marson:
The story about MPs getting extra pay is not true. No MP will see an extra penny of this in their bank accounts.
— Julie Marson MP (@JulieMarson) April 9, 2020
IPSA increased the office budget to provide staff who primarily work from the office the ability to work from home, and to produce & distribute COVID19 information.
This is from the Labour MP Wes Streeting:
Just to reassure people:
— Wes Streeting MP (@wesstreeting) April 9, 2020
- MPs aren't being 'given £10,000 extra each'
- There is a contingency budget for office equipment because not all of our *staff* working from home have their own IT equipment
- It is there if - and only if - it is *needed*
- It has to be accounted for
And this is from the Conservative MP George Freeman:
In case you’re hearing rumours of “MPs given an extra £10,000 to work from home”. Its bollocks.
— George Freeman MP (@GeorgeFreemanMP) April 9, 2020
(ℹ️: The Parliamentary Watchdog IPSA has decided that it is increasing the IT + telephone allowance for staff working from home. Most are already set up.) https://t.co/dhiqTlIVCe
For added context on how parliament works, the Spectator’s Isabel Hardman has also written this:
No, MPs haven't given themselves £10,000. The full myth-busting blog on the latest false claim doing the rounds about how parliament works https://t.co/l5VRpkWoQI
— Isabel Hardman (@IsabelHardman) April 10, 2020
Updated
Further 29 deaths in Wales bring total to 315
Another 29 people are reported to have died after testing positive for Covid-19 in Wales, taking the total there to 315.
There have been 502 new cases of the virus, bringing the total number of confirmed positive tests to 4,591, Public Health Wales said.
Updated
In other very British news, South Yorkshire police have apologised after a video circulating on social media appeared to show an officer reprimanding a man for using his own front lawn.
@syptweet @Alex_Stafford @UBJennings @rotherhamtiser Can we have some clarification on being allowed on your own Garden during the Governments lockdown and Social distancing.
— SbWeb (@grandad1975) April 9, 2020
One of your officers was recorded in Rotherham Eastwood village telling a...https://t.co/nJaLPt0iUq pic.twitter.com/aodWVf2xfw
The force said on Twitter, where the video has so far been viewed more than 340,000 times, that the officer in the video had good intentions but was “ill-informed”.
This encounter was well-intentioned but ill-informed and we'd like to apologise for the way it was handled. We've spoken to the officer concerned and made our approach absolutely clear. Again, we apologise for any inconvenience caused & will continue our work to support the NHS.
— South Yorkshire Police - #StayHomeSaveLives (@syptweet) April 9, 2020
It comes on the same day Cambridgeshire police had to clarify that their force was “not monitoring what people are buying from supermarkets” after an earlier now-deleted tweet attracted backlash for appearing to suggest officers had checked “non essential aisles” in a local Tesco.
This is all just a day after the chief constable of Northamptonshire police, Nick Adderley, was criticised for the controversial suggestion that officers could start searching shopping trolleys if people kept flouting social distancing rules.
Adderley has since said his use of language was “clumsy” after being criticised for his remarks, including by the home secretary Priti Patel, who said they were “not appropriate”.
Updated
Afternoon! This is Lucy Campbell again, bringing you up to speed with all the latest UK coronavirus developments for the rest of the day.
I’m extremely grateful to everyone who has already been in touch with tips and suggestions. If you’d like to contact me please feel free to email me at lucy.campbell@guadian.co.uk or via Twitter @lucy_campbell_.
Police Scotland has issued more than 500 fines to people ignoring the lockdown since the emergency powers came into force two weeks ago, and arrested others who refused to follow instructions, the chief constable, Iain Livingstone has said.
Taking part for the first time in Nicola Sturgeon’s daily coronavirus press conference, Livingstone said the fines and arrests came after police had to break up house parties or large groups of people gathering outside.
In the first week, the force issued just over 140 fixed penalty notices, implying non-compliance has increased nearly three-fold in the last week. The fines cost £60 or £30 if paid within 28 days.
“With the continued support and cooperation of our fellow citizens, Police Scotland will explain the legal instructions, encourage compliance and when necessary, enforce the law,” he said.
Policing of this would be “fair, reasonable and proportionate,” he said, adding: “Do not make personal exemptions bespoke to your own circumstances.”
Asked by the BBC if she was worried people were growing fatigued by the lockdown, Sturgeon said: “Of course I worry about people tiring of this. I think we all find it more difficult to comply with these rules as every day passes.
“That will get more difficult as we go into spring and the weather gets better, the nights get lighter. Nobody is under any illusion about that. But that is why it remains important for all us in government to be very clear with people: we will not ask you to do this for a minute longer than necessary.”
Asked why the former chief medical officer, Catherine Calderwood, was not fined for twice breaching the lockdown and only given a verbal warning, Livingstone said the police rightly accepted her immediate acknowledgement she had broken the law and would not do so again.
Updated
Another 866 die in England after testing positive
NHS England has announced 866 new deaths of people who tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 8,114.
Of the 866 new deaths announced today, 117 occurred on 9 April while 720 took place between 1 April and 8 April.
The remaining 29 deaths occurred in March, including one on March 5.
Updated
Northern Ireland records 10 further deaths
A further 10 people with coronavirus have died in Northern Ireland, taking the total number of deaths to 92.
There are 112 newly confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland - now a total of 1,589.
The first minister of Wales said the coronavirus lockdown could be “tightened” in Wales, including people not being allowed outside to exercise, if there was “large-scale flouting” of the guidelines.
Speaking at a press briefing in Cardiff, Mark Drakeford added fines could be increased but said he did not want to toughen measures because the rules are “an enormous burden” already.
We check every weekend with the police whether they think they have the powers they need and it’s important they are satisfied because they have to administer them.
The position last weekend was that their powers are sufficient, but if they come to me to say they need more powers, they will get more powers.
He added: “The small minority [who flout rules] need to get the message and get into line.”
The first minister also said he would only relax physical distancing measures “when the evidence shows it is safe”, and that such a decision would not be based on any similar actions in England.
We will do the right thing for Wales at the time that it is right for Wales and we won’t be doing that by looking over our shoulders at what others are doing.
Drakeford also denied announcing an extension of the lockdown in Wales on Wednesday to “get in ahead of Westminster”.
He said: “I wanted to be honest with people here in Wales and did not want them going into Easter believing they were on the final stretch and come next week the restrictions would be all over.”
Updated
This is Jessica Murray, taking over the blog while my colleague Lucy has a short break.
A 30-year-old man has been charged with fraud after allegedly spending six free nights at a hotel by claiming to be an NHS worker.
Ben Quince checked into the Casa hotel, in Chesterfield, at the end of March on a floor reserved for NHS staff, Derbyshire police said.
He stayed there for six nights and allegedly told staff he worked in the A&E department at Chesterfield Royal hospital.
The hotel is offering complimentary lodgings for health workers during the Covid-19 pandemic, the force said.
Quince, of no fixed address, has been charged with fraud by false representation.
He appeared at Southern Derbyshire magistrates court on Monday and was bailed to appear again at a later date, police said.
Updated
Sturgeon pledges bailout for Scottish universities
Nicola Sturgeon has pledged her government will pass on the full Scottish share of any Treasury bailout for universities but said they had to have further discussions on changing the way the Scottish Funding Council, which finances the sector, funds teaching costs for students and research.
The first minister was asked about the Guardian’s report that Prof Sally Mapstone, the principal of the University of St Andrews, had warned her university was facing its worst financial crisis in recent history and had already lost £25m.
She said the urgent priorities were confronting the public health challenge and the preservation of life, but added:
The scale of the financial crisis facing universities is well understood by ministers.
We clearly want our universities to remain where they are right now, which is at the very forefront of global education in the quality of the education and research that they’re renowned for.
Unlike in England and Wales, Scottish universities do not charge Scottish students tuition fees but instead get a per capita sum from the SFC to cover teaching costs; universities say that figure is less than the costs of teaching Scottish students.
They use fees paid by foreign students to balance the books. University principals say they could lose between 50% and 100% of their income from foreign students, if they refuse to come to the UK because of the pandemic.
Universities are now planning to put their staff on furlough; some predict smaller universities will be merged or shut down. They are pressing the Scottish government to consider higher per capita payments for teaching and an increase in research and postgraduate funding to protect their finances.
Sturgeon said:
There are some very complex discussions we need to have. We know exactly what the universities have been asking for and will continue to have those discussions.
Updated
Here are all the main points from this afternoon’s lobby briefing from my colleague Frances Perraudin, including an update on the prime minister’s health and the wider government response to the pandemic.
- On Boris Johnson’s condition, the prime minister’s spokesman said:
The prime minister is back on a ward and continuing his recovery, which is at an early stage. He continues to be in very good spirits.
There will be just one daily update about his condition now he is out of intensive care.
- Asked what contact Johnson had had with No 10, the spokesman said:
The PM is just beginning his recovery and he will be taking advice from his medical team.
The PM is enormously grateful for the care he is receiving from NHS staff. I am told that he was waving his thanks at all of the nurses and doctors that he saw as he was being moved from the intensive care unit to the ward.
- Asked about criticism of the cabinet minister Robert Jenrick for travelling more than an hour to visit his parents at the weekend, the prime minister’s spokesperson said:
The secretary of state has set out in two different statements the reasons for the journeys that he made. We are confident that he complied with the social distancing rules.
Like everybody else ministers have been told to work from home wherever possible and not make unnecessary journeys. As part of the coronavirus response there will be occasions where ministers have no option but to work from Whitehall. In the event this is required and the rest of the household is living elsewhere, it’s not an ‘unnecessary journey’ for them to travel to rejoin their family.
- Asked to comment on Cambridge police saying they would monitor “non-essential” supermarket aisles, he said:
We set out a list of shops which could remain open and if the shops are on that list then they are free to sell whatever they have in stock, obviously providing its legal to do so.
- The Foreign Office announced this morning that it had chartered 12 more flights to bring more than 3,000 stranded UK nationals back from India. Asked if the government accepted that it had been too slow to get UK citizens home from India, the spokesman said:
We are facing an unprecedented situation. The FCO has been working hard to bring British nationals back from countries around the world.
- The spokesman said that in the 24 hours to 9am on Thursday, 15,194 coronavirus tests were carried out in NHS and PHE labs, including on 2,970 NHS staff.
- Also on Thursday, 29m PPE items were delivered to 268 trusts and organisations.
- 10,000 mechanical ventilators are currently available and another 1,500 on order, due to arrive shortly. The NHS has “sufficient spare capacity” in terms of intensive care units and ventilators, he said.
Updated
Firefighters are to fit face masks for frontline NHS and clinical care staff and deliver medical supplies to hospitals and care facilities during the coronavirus outbreak.
Firefighters have been wearing respiratory masks for decades and the specialist trainers are certified to undertake the face-fit testing.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently warned that the incorrect fitting of a protective face mask can increase the risk of Covid-19 infection and “lead to immediate or long-term ill-health or can even put the ...wearer’s life in danger.”
Under the agreement, firefighters could also assist in the delivery of PPE to the social care sector which has reported critical shortages of essential equipment.
Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union (FBU) General Secretary, said:
This public health crisis will require all of us to do our bit to get through it, and firefighters rightly want to play as much of a part as they can.
Under a previous agreement, fire and rescue personnel were already able to assist in delivery of essential items like food and medicines to vulnerable people, drive ambulances, assist ambulance staff and move dead bodies, should the outbreak cause mass casualties.
Firefighters will maintain their core responsibilities while providing the services specifically related to the pandemic. The agreement made by the FBU with fire chiefs provides for the arrangements to be in place for an initial two months but the time period can be altered if all parties agree.
We all have to pull together to get through this crisis
— Fire Brigades Union (@fbunational) April 10, 2020
That's why firefighters will now be able to use their expertise to fit face masks for NHS and care staff treating coronavirus patients and deliver vital PPE and medical supplies
We stand togetherhttps://t.co/VwK8ZggeX4
Updated
Downing Street said shops that are allowed to remain open during the lockdown are free to sell whatever items they have in stock.
Asked about the idea of police patrolling particular supermarket aisles to see what people are buying, the prime minister’s spokesman said:
We set out a list of shops which could remain open and if the shops are on that list then they are free to sell whatever they have in stock. Obviously provided it’s legal to do so.
Downing Street 'confident' Robert Jenrick complied with distancing rules when visiting his parents
Commenting on the news that the housing secretary Robert Jenrick visited his elderly parents, the prime minister’s official spokesman said they were “confident” he had complied with physical distancing rules:
The secretary of state has set out in two different statements the reasons for the journeys which he made.
We’re confident that he complied with the social distancing rules.
The spokesman added Jenrick has said himself that his wife and children consider their home in Herefordshire to be their family home.
Asked about cabinet ministers commuting to and from London, the spokesman said:
Like everybody else, ministers have been told to work from home wherever possible, and not make unnecessary journeys.
As part of the coronavirus response there will be occasions when ministers have no option but to work from Whitehall.
Updated
Prime minister in 'very good spirits' and 'waved thanks' to NHS staff as he was moved out of intensive care
Boris Johnson is in “very good spirits” after being discharged from intensive care, Downing Street said at the daily lobby briefing.
The prime minister’s spokesman said he was “enormously grateful” for the care he had received from NHS staff at St Thomas’ Hospital. He said:
I am told he was waving his thanks towards the nurses and doctors that he saw as he was being moved from the intensive care unit back to the ward.
Hopefully it was clear to the staff that he was waving his gratitude.
The spokesman said he was not aware of any contact between Johnson and No 10 and that it was too early to say how long he would need to remain in hospital. He added:
The prime minister is back on a ward and continuing his recovery which is at an early stage. He continues to be in very good spirits.
Decisions such as this will be on the advice of his medical team. They have given him brilliant care.
Updated
A man has been arrested in Greater Manchester after biting a female police constable and punching two other officers as they enforced lockdown.
Police were called on Thursday evening to reports a man was causing a disturbance on Drake Street in Rochdale.
Attending officers had attempted to explain to the man that in line with government guidelines around Covid-19, people shouldn’t be going around to other people’s homes, Greater Manchester police (GMP) said. While trying to engage with the man, two officers were both punched. One of those officers - a 21-year-old female police constable - was then seriously bitten and had to attend hospital, before being discharged to recover at home.
A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, domestic violence assault, section 18 assault with intent to resist arrest and regulation 8 of the Health Protection Regulation 2020 (Coronavirus). He remains in police custody for questioning by officers.
Superintendent Richard Hunt, of GMP’s Rochdale district, said:
No police officer should have to come to work – doing a job to serve and protect our communities – and be assaulted. It is absolutely disgusting that my officer was faced with this last night and all of our thoughts are with her as she rests at home.
This is a particularly challenging time for everybody at the moment, made worse by something so mindless like this. Having spoken to the officer earlier this morning, she said that last night’s incident was a stark contrast to the support she has felt over the past few days, whilst she has been delivering Easter eggs to local children whilst out on patrol. This just goes to show that thankfully, incidents like this are not a reflection of the vast majority of the public, who are showing great support to us.
Further 48 deaths in Scotland bringing total to 495
A further 48 people have died in Scotland after testing positive for Covid-19, bringing the total there to 495, the first minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced.
Sturgeon said there are now 5,275 confirmed positive cases in Scotland, up by 318 from 4,957 the day before.
There are 207 people in intensive care with coronavirus or coronavirus symptoms, a decrease of five on Thursday.
Sturgeon added that 1,832 people are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19.
@NicolaSturgeon says another 48 people in Scotland have died from #covid19, total up to 495 fatalities. 5275 positive cases now, with 1832 people in hospital #coronavirusuk
— Severin Carrell (@severincarrell) April 10, 2020
Updated
Two-thirds (67%) of nurses do not feel they have access to sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE), a survey has found.
Almost 3,500 nurses responded to the survey by the Nursing Standard, with just under a third (31%) saying they have used their own money to buy PPE, and one in 10 (11%) saying they resorted to making their own.
One nurse described the PPE provision as shocking, inadequate and unsafe. She added:
I feel I am risking my life to care for these patients. And I feel I will be the next victim of Covid-19 if it carries on.
There were also complaints that masks, when available, are frequently poorly fitting and out of date, some by years.
Almost all staff said they have access to disposable gowns (96%) and gloves (98%) but only 27% reported access to fluid-resistant surgical masks and 42% reported they had eye protection through a visor or goggles.
Public Health England has different advice for the level of PPE staff should wear in different settings but some healthcare workers have suggested the guidelines do not offer them sufficient protection. Additionally, NHS staff have been complaining for weeks about low specification PPE and shortages of protective equipment.
NHS England and ministers have insisted that shortages of PPE are due to distribution issues rather than inadequate supplies and that they have scaled up deliveries over the past three weeks.
Two thirds of nurses say they don't have sufficient access to PPE, a Nursing Standard survey suggests. 1 in 3 of the almost 3,500 UK nurses who took part said they have bought their own PPE, while 1 in 10 have resorted to making their own https://t.co/RD4f27y6Xp
— Nursing Standard (@NurseStandard) April 10, 2020
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The leaders of the UK’s headteachers’ unions have told the Department for Education they hope schools in England can reopen even for as little as two weeks before the summer holidays, if scientific advice allows.
The leaders of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) told Schools Week that the DfE had shown interest in the idea of pupils having a limited return before the end of July, rather than waiting until the new school year starts in September.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of ASCL, said it would be “incredibly cathartic” if schools could reopen, and helpful for pupils preparing to move from primary to secondary school. But he cautioned:
What we don’t want to do is spook people into thinking schools will be opening in a week’s time, but we do need to start thinking about what it would look like if we get children back for a few weeks in the summer term.
Of course, it won’t happen if the public health experts say the timing isn’t right, but it’s something to start thinking about.
Paul Whiteman of the NAHT said:
Once the scientific advice is that schools can return safely, they should do so, even if it’s for a very limited period before the summer break, as this will allow young people to reacquaint themselves with the educational environment.
The DfE’s position is that schools in England remain closed “until further notice” except for defined groups, and the governments in Wales and Scotland have explicitly ruled out schools reopening in the near term.
Updated
A boutique hotel in Edinburgh run by one of the world’s oldest medical bodies says it has now donated more than 1,000 nights of free accommodation to health workers involved in combating the coronavirus.
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd), which traces its origins to 1505 and now trains and accredits surgeons from across the world, opened its hotel Ten Hill Place next to its headquarters, Surgeons’ Hall, in 2005 to raise funds.
It said the hotel has made 129 bedrooms available for hospital staff, with packed continental breakfasts and free evening meals, to reduce their need to commute and help medical staff avoid other vulnerable family members in isolation.
It is also in talks with Scotland’s interim chief medical officer, Dr Gregor Smith, about converting the hotel into temporary hospital accommodation if the city’s hospitals overflow.
Prof Michael Griffin, the president of the RSCEd, said:
We’ve heard and seen directly from our colleagues how severe the impact Covid-19 is on our health service. Having accommodation near hospitals to rest and recover allows our colleagues to be looked after, at a time when they need the most support.
Updated
Fewer than one in five healthcare workers who suspected they had coronavirus actually tested positive for the disease, according to one of the first published UK studies of mass testing on NHS workers.
Scientists from Sheffield, which started testing all symptomatic healthcare workers a fortnight before much of the rest of the UK, have published research showing that 81% of staff reporting symptoms tested negative.
Some 1,533 staff were tested over the two weeks from 17 March. Of these, just 282 (18%) tested positive. Five (< 1%) had an indeterminate result.
More than a third of staff had completed at least one shift while symptomatic.
Twenty-five were nursing staff, eight were doctors, nine were other patient-facing clinical staff, nine were laboratory or secretarial staff and one worked in cleaning services.
On 17 March, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (STH) started testing any staff who were complaining of an “influenza-like illness”. This was defined as anyone with a reported fever and one of: cough, sore throat, runny nose, myalgia, headache.
They were directed to self-swab in the on-site assessment pods and given written and pictorial instructions to show how to do it correctly.
Four times a day the swabs were transported to the laboratory at the Northern General hospital, where they were tested.
The majority of test results were communicated to staff on the same or the next day. Staff with a negative test were able to return to work if they felt well enough to do so.
Concluding their study, the Sheffield scientists said:
In a time where healthcare systems are particularly stretched, it is important to be able to maximise the available workforce. Facilitating testing may substantially decrease absence in staff when [coronavirus] can be excluded.
They added:
While it is important that the provision of testing is carefully balanced with consideration of laboratory capacity, increasing laboratory capacity to allow widespread testing of NHS staff could be a vital tool in achieving adequate staffing during the Covid-19 outbreak, and reducing the risk of transmission to vulnerable patients.
Earlier on in the UK’s coronavirus crisis, Sheffield was one of the local authorities with the highest number of cases – a fact local virologists attributed to Sheffield testing more people, earlier, than almost anywhere else.
On 1 April, a consultant virologist in the city claimed Sheffield was carrying out 10% of all tests in the UK.
Updated
The public have been warned they are more likely to see police officers in masks and gloves in certain situations during the pandemic where there is considered to be a risk of transmission.
Police chiefs said officers can wear fluid-resistant masks and gloves when sat in cars or vans with colleagues or when they can not keep 2 metres away from members of the public. The guidance said:
It is recommended that PPE (minimum of a fluid resistant surgical mask and gloves (non-latex)) should be readily available for officers where it is necessary to deploy double-crewed patrols or in personnel carriers.
They have also be told at all times they should have PPE ‘readily available’ capable of being donned quickly.
John Apter, chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said the public should not be concerned if they, on occasions, see police officers wearing PPE:
This is not only about protecting colleagues, it’s also about protecting the public. Policing is dangerous and unpredictable but every measure must be taken to keep officers as safe as possible. Face masks, gloves and hand sanitisers are the absolute basic we would expect our colleagues to be provided with in this current crisis.
The guidance was issued by the National Police Chiefs Council and College of Policing. Officers are told they should fully protect themselves if dealing with someone infected with the virus and to maintain social distancing.
Chief constable Andy Rhodes, the NPCC wellbeing lead, said:
We have sufficient stocks of personal protective equipment for all forces and have established a reliable supply chain to ensure it is available to forces in the quantities needed.
Updated
There are “heartbreaking” cases of employees being made redundant after being denied help from the government’s job retention scheme, Citizens Advice has said, fearing the government’s “bold” action to protect workers during the pandemic could be undermined by confusion and “patchy use” of the scheme by some employers.
The charity said advisers are seeing daily cases of people who are at risk of slipping through the safety net despite potentially being entitled to support.
New research by the charity shows around six million people in the UK (18% of the workforce) have had their hours cut, been laid off or made redundant.
Almost four out of 10 (38%) have lost household income because of the crisis, with nearly one in 12 (8%) losing 80% of household income.
Demand for its redundancy advice has doubled, with its web page titled “what to do if your employer has told you not to work” being the most-read page this month with more than 175,000 views.
The charity highlighted the case of a father-of-four called Mark who returned to work as an HGV driver in February, after spending eight months caring for his daughter who is undergoing treatment for a rare cancer.
In March, the family were told they needed to self-isolate as his daughter is one of the 1.5m who must be shielded. Mark was made redundant the next day as he could not return to work. He said:
I spoke to my manager and explained that if someone in my home caught coronavirus and passed it on to my daughter the chances are she would die.
They said that as a driver I would not be in contact with many people and could I not just self-isolate in my cabin. I said that wouldn’t be possible.
My family and their wellbeing comes first, so I have to accept that I no longer have a job.
It’s just really insensitive and feels wrong that they can let me go for following the government guidelines to shield my daughter as she is high risk.
Dame Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said:
The government has unveiled a remarkable package of support to help people keep their heads above water during this crisis.
It must now ensure employers are using this to protect their workers, as well as opening it up to cover even more people.
We’re already starting to see heartbreaking cases where employees have been denied help from the scheme and have instead been made redundant.
While it’s not clear how much of this is due to confusion, cash flow fears, or the need to downsize, we think the Government needs a clear plan to protect people if the support is not filtering through.
That is the only way to reduce the burden on the benefits system, and retain the link between an employer and their staff.
Costume staff from the English National Opera have turned their skills to making scrubs for medics on the frontline of the Covid-19 pandemic.
On their GoFundMe page, organiser Sarah Bowern explains:
We are a team of costume staff from the English National Opera raising money to make scrubs for our amazing NHS.
The costume team for the BBC drama His Dark Materials have also so far raised more than £41,000 to help dress medics and released their first scrubs this week.
The team behind the campaign also worked on Downton Abbey and have been backed by actor Hugh Bonneville who tweeted:
The original costume team from Downton Abbey are putting their talents to about the most important use imaginable right now.
The original costume team from #DowntonAbbey are putting their talents to about the most important use imaginable right now… #HelpingDressMedics.
— Hugh Bonneville #FlattenTheCurve (@hughbon) March 31, 2020
Please read and support if you can: https://t.co/wNj64P0WLO#fundraiser #covid19 #coronavirus @scott_dulcie @NHSMillion
Updated
The legendary Manchester nightclub, the Hacienda, which closed down in 1997, is hosting a stay at home rave tomorrow to help keep people entertained and encourage them not to venture out over the Easter weekend.
The line-up includes former Hacienda resident DJs Graeme Park, Jon DaSilva and Tom Wainwright, as well as US house music legends Todd Terry, David Morales and Roger Sanchez. The event, which begins at noon and finishes at midnight, can be watched online here.
Updated
Morrisons Foundation, the charitable arm of Morrisons supermarket, has set aside a fund of £500,000 over the next three months to help charities offer additional protection, services and support to the homeless as a result of Covid-19.
Rough sleepers have been identified as one of the most at-risk groups, as they are more likely to have underlying health conditions and are less able to access basic sanitation.
Charities can apply online for grants of up to £10,000. Charities will be able to apply for financial help to support rough sleepers, which includes supplying food and healthcare essentials. It also covers the delivery of services in hostels and shelters, including the payment for additional staff, purchase of PPE equipment and the provision of emergency accommodation. The fund will also allow charities to provide information and advice regarding health and wellbeing services and helplines.
David Potts, the chief executive of Morrisons, said:
Morrisons is committed to helping the most vulnerable in our society. We know that the coronavirus outbreak presents a particular risk to the homeless and we want to do our bit to help. This new fund will help charities doing vital work to care for the homeless at this critical time.
Nick Connolly, the managing director of End Youth Homelessness, said:
Our member charities need cash to pay for staff, personal protective equipment, food and other essentials to a level they could not possibly have envisaged a few months ago. We are so pleased this is being recognised.
Updated
Further to our earlier post, Cambridgeshire police have posted another statement on Twitter to clarify that officers “are not monitoring what people are buying from supermarkets”.
It said an earlier tweet (now deleted) had been made by an “over exuberant officer”. It caused a stir online after it seemed to suggest officers had checked “the non essential aisles were empty” in a local Tesco.
The force tweeted:
For clarification, the force position, in line with national guidance, is that we are not monitoring what people are buying from supermarkets. This message was sent with good intentions by an over exuberant officer who has been spoken to since this tweet was published.
Whilst the majority of people in our communities are abiding by the social distancing measures we have had to issue a small number of fines to those who are flouting the rules. None of these have been in relation to shopping or supermarket visits.
The initial tweet had come just a day after the chief constable of Northamptonshire Police, Nick Adderley, was criticised for the controversial suggestion that officers could start searching shopping trolleys if people kept flouting social distancing rules.
Adderley has since said his use of language was “clumsy” after being criticised for his remarks, including by the home secretary Priti Patel who said they were “not appropriate”.
Updated
The shadow home secretary has urged the cabinet minister Robert Jenrick to fully explain himself after the Guardian revealed he had travelled more than an hour away to visit his parents at the weekend – despite warning others to stay at home during the coronavirus lockdown.
The communities secretary – who has made media appearances urging people to save lives by remaining in their properties even if tempted to see loved ones – went to see his parents at their Shropshire home, 40 miles by road from his own.
It also emerged that Jenrick travelled 150 miles from his London property, where he stayed at the start of the lockdown, to his £1.2m Herefordshire home from where he travelled to his parents. His website says he lives with his family near Newark, his constituency in Nottingham, and London.
Asked whether he thought Jenrick was ignoring the government’s stay at home advice, Nick Thomas-Symonds, the shadow home secretary, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
I think that’s for him to explain. As you know, the delivery of essential supplies like food and medicine to vulnerable people, vulnerable family members, would be permissible in the exceptions that there are for people to go outside.
But I think it’s very important now for public confidence that Robert Jenrick fully explains himself and why exactly that journey was necessary.
The full story is here.
A doctors’ leader has insisted that GPs will visit elderly residents of care homes during the coronavirus outbreak after complaints that doctors were refusing to attend sick patients in residential care.
Dozens of elderly residents, many of whom have underlying health problems and dementia, have died in Scottish care homes or fallen ill with Corvid-19, including several large clusters. Care England, the industry body, estimates up to 1,000 people have died in English care homes but have not been officially counted.
The older’s people’s charity Age Scotland, said earlier this week it knew of cases where GPs were failing to visit care homes and insisting on doing telephone consultations or referring people to an NHS helpline.
The Royal College of GPs issued a joint statement with Scottish Care, the umbrella body for care homes, on Friday to insist GPs would visit patients where necessary but confirmed the pandemic had led to a significant shift towards telephone and video consultations.
Dr Carey Lunan, the chair of RCGP Scotland, and Prof Donald Macaskill of Scottish Care said the situation was worsened by a shortage of personal protective equipment; they and the Royal College of Nursing had written to the Scottish government last week to complain.
Lunan and Macaskill said they knew it was “an incredibly worrying time” for residents and their families.
GPs will continue to deliver the same high level of care and support that they have always provided to their patients in care homes. GPs have had to rapidly adapt the way that they deliver clinical care in the last few weeks, with much more advice and assessment being done over the telephone or by video consulting, where it is safe and appropriate to do so.
The safety of care home residents is very important to GPs, and for that reason, they would only visit in person where there is a clinical need to do so, to reduce the potential risk of bringing any infection into the home. If a face to face visit is needed, they will wear the appropriate PPE to protect staff and residents.
Updated
Cambridgeshire police patrol 'non-essential' supermarket aisles
It seems Cambridgeshire police have raised some eyebrows on social media with the news that officers attended Tesco in the village of Bar Hill this morning and checked “non-essential aisles”. Judging by comments on the post on Twitter, this has left many confused over what constitutes (and who determines what constitutes) a “non-essential” aisle or item.
Officers have been patrolling supermarkets this morning, just a day after a chief constable was criticised for suggesting officers could search shopping trolleys if people kept flouting social distancing rules.
The Northamptonshire police chief constable, Nick Adderley, has since said his use of language was “clumsy” after being criticised for his remarks, including by the home secretary, Priti Patel, who said they were “not appropriate”.
The tweet by the force’s Cambridge team said:
Officers visited Tesco Barhill this morning as part of their patrols around supermarkets and green spaces this weekend.
Good to see everyone was abiding by social distancing measures and the non essential aisles were empty.
Meanwhile, on Thursday evening, Cambridgeshire police issued thanks to a local chocolatier for an essential (?) delivery...
Huge thanks to everyone at Bellina Chocolate House in #Cambridge for the generous donation of chocolate goodies to officers at Parkside Police Station today! pic.twitter.com/tZq2RTuK3O
— Cambridge Police (@CambridgeCops) April 9, 2020
Updated
A 460-bed Nightingale hospital for the north-east is to be built in Washington, Tyne and Wear, the Conservative MP Richard Holden has said.
It is being built with the help of the army at the International Advanced Manufacturing Park in a unit that is bigger than a football pitch, and will be divided into 16 wards, which will take coronavirus patients if units in the region cannot cope with demand.
The MP for North West Durham tweeted:
Great to see the North East and Cumbria get the go-ahead in #Washington for the new Nightingale Hospital.
— Richard Holden MP #StayHomeSaveLives (@RicHolden) April 9, 2020
It'll provide 460 beds, if necessary, for those with #coronavirus in addition to existing NHS hospital capacity.
A similar development for the south-west is being created at the Westpoint Arena in Exeter, according to reports.
The NHS has already set up temporary hospitals in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Harrogate.
Updated
In a separate interview this morning as he did the early broadcast round, Dr Paul Cosford said it was “not unreasonable” to expect the lockdown to continue for several weeks.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
I think several weeks isn’t unreasonable. Let’s hope its sooner than that.
All my experience dealing with any sort of infectious disease suggests once you start getting things under control, that is the time you absolutely need to continue with all your measures so you can bring the disease right down, essentially to crack it across the country.
He added there was the possibility the restrictions could be lifted in stages. He said:
I could conceive of circumstances in which some of the restrictions are lifted sooner and some are lifted later.
Just for now, we are getting on top of this but we have got an awfully long way to go and it is absolutely critical that we continue with all the actions that are required of us.
Updated
The O2 arena in Greenwich is being turned into a training facility for NHS staff, in a bid to support the rapidly constructed NHS Nightingale hospital at ExCel London.
At present, the centre is expected to operate from 12 April until 29 June – with the facility available without a hire fee.
While no patients will be treated at the O2, the facility is expected to support staff training.
“While this will result in further rescheduling of events booked to take place during this period, the priority for us all at this time is to help save lives and we know our customers and partners will understand our desire to support the NHS in this way,” the O2 said on its website.
Updated
Dr Paul Cosford, the medical director for Public Health England, has called for people to stay at home over the Easter weekend because physical distancing measures are working.
Reiterating the “good news” issued by Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, at the daily news briefing on Thursday, Cosford said the number of new cases looked to be starting to flatten and the number of deaths was not accelerating as fast as it would if there was “uncontrolled transmission” across communities.
With “some time yet” still to go before the UK gets through the peak, Cosford said “we must carry on” with physical distancing.
He told Good Morning Britain:
People are complying [with the measures] in a very large majority and the impact that is having is that transmission is much, much less than it would otherwise be.
The most important thing now is we continue [to stay at home] so we can get through the peak and come down the other side.
'The good news is that social distancing really has been working... The most important thing now is that we continue with it so we get through the peak and that's going to take some time yet.'
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) April 10, 2020
Medical Director for Public Health England Paul Cosford. pic.twitter.com/zINJAWFISx
Updated
Good morning! This is Lucy Campbell, I’ll be taking over the blog for the rest of the day. We’ll be bringing you all the latest UK developments on coronavirus. As always, any tips, comments, advice or suggestions are most welcome. Please feel free to email me at lucy.campbell@guardian.co.uk or get in touch via Twitter, I’m on @lucy_campbell_.
Updated
The TV presenter Kate Garraway says her husband, who is being treated in hospital for Covid-19, is still in intensive care and “very ill”.
In a message read out on air by her Good Morning Britain co-presenter Ben Shephard, Garraway said it “remains an excruciatingly worrying time”.
Her husband, Derek Draper, 52, a former lobbyist and political adviser, was admitted to hospital last Monday.
Garraway praised the NHS team treating him as “extraordinary”, saying: “I know that it’s only their professionalism, dedication and bravery that has kept Derek with us so far. I also know that they are working just as hard on all the patients in their care.” She added:
It is hard to find the right words because thank you alone just doesn’t seem enough but I do thank them with all my heart as I know Derek would also want to if he could.
I also want to say thank you so much to everyone who has sent messages of support. I’m sorry that I haven’t been able to respond to them but I hope you understand I’m focusing on Derek and my family right now.
However, in quieter moments, I am seeing them and they are so comforting and wonderful to read. I am very aware that I’m not the only one going through this torture, there are thousands of families everywhere worried about their loved ones and hundreds more every day too that are having to deal with the worst news that their loved ones have been taken by this horrific virus.
I want to send a message of love and support to all of you going through this. You are not alone, we must all stand together and support each other. And I’m praying to be able to be talking with you soon with some positive news. Love, Kate.”
She and Draper, who have been married since 2005, have a daughter and a son.
Updated
Boris Johnson's father relieved at PM's move from intensive care
Boris Johnson’s father, Stanley, has spoken of his relief after the prime minister was moved from intensive care where he was being treated for Covid-19.
Stanley Johnson said he was “amazingly thankful” for the efforts of the NHS and appreciative for the outpouring of support.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said his son must now rest to continue recovering from coronavirus. The prime minister is still being treated at St Thomas’ hospital in London.
“This is pretty straightforward now. He must rest up. As I understand it, he has moved from the ICU into a recovery unit but I don’t think you can say this is out of the wood now,” he said.
“He has to take time. I cannot believe you can walk away from this and get straight back to Downing Street and pick up the reins without a period of readjustment.”
He added: “To use that American expression, he almost took one for the team. We have got to make sure we play the game properly now.”
Updated
My colleague, Robert Booth, also brings readers an exclusive story on today’s Guardian front page detailing how hundreds of people are dying in care homes from confirmed or suspected coronavirus without yet being officially counted.
He reports that more than 120 residents of the UK’s largest charitable provider of care homes are thought to have died from the virus in the last three weeks, while another network of care homes is reported to have recorded 88 deaths.
Care England, the industry body, estimated the death toll was likely to be close to 1,000, despite the only available official figure for care home fatalities being dramatically lower.
He has also written a harrowing accompanying piece shining a light on the struggle going on inside UK care homes as they battle rising Covid-19 deaths. In one Buckinghamshire care home, in which eight patients with dementia have died in quick succession in just three weeks, he writes:
Now relatives of the dying must say goodbye by phone or through bedroom windows, the solace of touch made impossible by fear of contagion.”
Updated
Morning folks, Simon Murphy here to steer you through this morning’s UK coronavirus news. To recap, the nation was given a dose of good news when it emerged last night that prime minister Boris Johnson had been moved from intensive care where he was being treated for coronavirus. He remains at St Thomas’ hospital in London.
Separately, the Guardian revealed that the cabinet minister Robert Jenrick travelled to visit his parents at the weekend, despite repeatedly urging the public to stay at home during the lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus. The Guardian established that the housing, communities and local government secretary – who has made media appearances urging people to save lives by remaining in their properties even if tempted to see loved ones – went to see his parents at their Shropshire home, 40 miles by road from his own.
THE GUARDIAN: Hundreds dying of virus in care homes not counted in official data #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/DqOd2Gzl4x
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) April 9, 2020
Jenrick defended himself on Twitter after a source close to him had earlier admitted that he had made the journey during lockdown conditions, but said he dropped off food and medication, and did not enter the house. The Guardian understands that the local community has been supporting Jenrick’s parents by delivering groceries in recent weeks. This was not denied, though the source said Jenrick had collected and delivered medication for his parents, too.
The story was followed up widely across Fleet Street, including on the front page of the Daily Telegraph:
TELEGRAPH: @BorisJohnson out of ICU #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/hbucArpjL9
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) April 9, 2020
It was also taken up by the Daily Mail on its front page, focusing on Jenrick also staying at his second home.
MAIL: So much for lockdown minister! #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/KH5uicHBv3
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) April 9, 2020
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office has chartered 12 more flights to bring more than 3,000 stranded UK nationals back from India. It follows seven flights that have already been arranged between April 8 and April 12 and will bring the total number of Britons repatriated from India to around 5,000.
The new flights will leave from Goa, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Thiruvananthapuram between April 13 and April 20 with bookings opened on Friday.
