Top story: Contact tracing recruits ‘told scheme on hold’
Morning everyone. I’m Martin Farrer and these are the stories you need to start the week.
Ministers have been accused of “misstep after misstep” over the rolling out of a viable contact tracing scheme to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Michael Gove said yesterday that the government’s app-based plan would be ready to launch by the end of the month and that “just over 17,000” contact tracers had been hired to help. But emails sent this weekend by one of the companies handling the recruitment process said hiring had been paused while the government considered an alternative app. Attempts to get teachers back to work are also beset with problems but a study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies today says that keeping schools closed will widen inequalities during lockdown. Another sobering statistic: more than three-quarters of black and Asian doctors in the NHS fear they will contract Covid-19.
There was some more optimism about a possible vaccine for Covid-19 with news that production of a jab will begin this summer in Oxford even before clinical trials have established whether it will work. If the vaccine is successful, AstraZeneca will work to make 30m shots available by September, with a further 70m earmarked for the US and the rest of the world.
The virus has now infected 4.7 million people around the world and caused the death of 315,000. You can follow all the day’s developments in the pandemic at our live blog here, and catch up with overnight news at a glance.
There’s more in our Coronavirus Extra section further down … and here’s where you can find all our coverage of the outbreak – from breaking news to factchecks and advice.
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Brexit stall – British negotiators will seek to re-energise Brexit talks with European officials this week by publishing a draft treaty mapping out the government’s position. The UK believes talks have been “disappointing” in settling disputed issues in part because European governments are being distracted by having to handle the coronavirus pandemic. Issues up for discussion in the talks are the car industry, fisheries and how to reduce bureaucracy at border checks.
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Pakistan killings – Two teenage girls have been shot dead by members of their own family after a short video was posted online showing them in the company of a young man at a secluded spot. The pair, said to be aged 16 and 18, were killed and buried in their village in Pakistan’s North Waziristan province where women are commonly subject to a strict “honour code” under which they are not allowed out alone.
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Iran plea – The Foreign Office has refused a plea from Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe for the British ambassador to Iran to visit her before Tehran decides whether to return her to jail. The dual citizen was sentenced to five years’ prison in 2016 but has been on furlough at her parents’ home in Tehran during the coronavirus outbreak. Her lawyers wanted a show of solidarity from the UK ambassador but the Foreign Office believes a visit would be counter-productive.
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Bloom time – The Chelsea Flower Show starts online today amid a boom in the popularity of gardening that has led experts such as TV gardener Monty Don to highlight the importance of green spaces in maintaining good mental health. Sue Biggs, the Royal Horticultural Society director general, says the government should stipulate that new homes must have private or communal gardens or a balcony.
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Coronavirus Extra
Green campaigners are calling for the restrictions on cars in cities from Brussels to Bogotá will become a permanent feature. Australia has won the support of 110 countries for a resolution to the World Health Assembly later today calling for an independent inquiry into the origins of the pandemic. China, which is under mounting global pressure ahead of the meeting, is not mentioned in the wording of the resolution.
The exodus of expats around the world to their country of origin has helped New Zealand’s population pass 5 million for the first time. Thousands of Kiwis have returned home in the past few weeks. In South Korea a football club has apologised after filling its stands with sex dolls to make the stadium look less empty.
Today in Focus podcast
An attempt earlier this month to remove Nicolás Maduro from power in Venezuela ended in farcical failure as a seaborne invading force was captured easily following a series of mishaps. World affairs editor Julian Borger tells the bizarre story.
Lunchtime read: Jesse Jackson on what Covid should change
Despite the confines of lockdown and the debilitating effects of Parkinson’s, the veteran campaigner Jesse Jackson is still a formidable voice in American life. He speaks to our Washington correspondent about the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on black communities, Trump’s shortcomings and how the legacy must be “healthcare for all”.
Sport
Bayern Munich completed a straightforward 2-0 win away at Union Berlin yesterday as the Bundesliga wrapped up its first post-lockdown fixtures. Premier League clubs will meet again today to try to find common ground for their own restart but Raheem Sterling said players need “five weeks” of training. In the WSL, a leading agent has warned that players are fearful of a stop-start season and currently don’t want games to begin without the prospect of a clear run. The former Aston Villa player Lee Hendrie has given a revealing interview in which he talks about how he has tried several times to take his own life. Horse racing will resume in Ireland on 8 June with the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas classics. In the US, the trainers that Michael Jordan wore in his first season in the NBA have sold for $560,000 at auction.
Business
Millions of Britons fear losing their job permanently within six months as a result of the pandemic, a study has warned. Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said yesterday that US unemployment could hit 25%, but was still optimistic that the economy would begin to recover in the second half of the year. Asian shares were helped by his comments despite figures showing Japan has entered recession. The FTSE100 looks like soaring 1.5% this morning while the pound is languishing at $1.211 and €1.118.
The papers
Several papers choose to lead on what the Express calls “Britain’s race for 30m to get vaccine by autumn”. The Mail also thinks that’s the best story of the day and says “Half of Britons could get jab in months”. The Telegraph includes the story on its front but leads with the ongoing schools row: “Risk of virus spreading in schools is ‘extremely low’”, it says. The Mirror has a more combative: “Are our kids safe or not, Mr Gove”.
The Guardian leads with “Ministers under fire amid ‘chaos’ over contact tracing” but in Scotland the National says “Contact tracing ‘on track’ as trial begins”. Metro leads on plans to expand the train timetable – “Getting back on tracks” – and the Times says “Tough quarantine plan scuppers holiday hopes”. The i claims “PM’s virus safety inspections at work don’t exist”.
The FT differs a bit and goes with “Powell warns that US recovery could take until the end of 2021” while the Sun has a story about Chelsea player Callum Hudson Odoi: “England ace held over 4am model row”.
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