Evening summary
- It is too early for the UK government to consider an exit strategy for the lockdown. The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, said shifting the focus from social distancing measures could mean “we won’t get through the peak as fast as we need to”.
- The prime minister is continuing to run the country from his hospital bed. Raab insisted that Boris Johnson remained “in charge” during Tuesday’s Downing Street press conference, despite him being admitted to St Thomas’s Hospital in London with persistent symptoms yesterday.
- The UK death toll from Covid-19 has surpassed 5,000. The department of health and social care confirmed that as of 5pm on Sunday, 5,373 people had died. As of this morning, 51,608 people had tested positive for the virus.
- Social distancing measures “are working” and have slowed coronavirus-related hospital admissions. Professor Dame Angela McLean said the growth in admissions “is not as bad as it could have been” had the lockdown not been put in place.
- Police have observed early indications of an increase in suicide attempts and suicides during the lockdown. Sgt Simon Kempton, the operational lead for Covid-19 at the Police Federation of England and Wales, said it was “far too early to say if that’s a real trend” but added that the burden on police was starting to rise.
- Debenhams is set to go into administration. Bosses of the department store chain have filed a notice of intent to appoint administrators, affecting around 22,000 workers.
- Ed Miliband has returned to the shadow cabinet. The former Labour leader was appointed as shadow business secretary by Keir Starmer, while Lord Falconer also returns as shadow attorney general.
Tens of thousands of British nationals are feared stranded in Pakistan, according to the shadow minister Emily Thornberry, as more than 75 MPs demanded action in a letter sent to the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab.
Thornberry, a former shadow foreign secretary and now shadow international trade secretary, has been collecting data from Labour MPs who have been deluged with calls and emails from constituents. She has given Raab a detailed plan of action the party wants to see urgently enacted.
Her letter comes amid growing anger that the UK’s £75m airlift operation has resulted in charter flights to Peru, India, South Africa and Nepal but not Pakistan.
You can read more on this story from Nimra Shahid and our reporter Lisa O’Carroll here:
The reliance on online learning during the UK’s coronavirus-enforced school closures is being challenged by parents, who say that councils in England have a legal obligation to provide children from disadvantaged families with access to laptops and broadband.
The legal action is being backed by the Good Law Project, the veteran of bruising Brexit court battles. Its aim is to help state school pupils who are having to rely on their parents’ phones or share equipment with adults working from home, or whose families simply can’t afford the costs.
The group has parents living in Southwark who are to sue the council to meet its obligations under the education act.
Jolyon Maugham, the Good Law Project’s director, said:
“Local authorities in England have a clear obligation to ensure that all children can access teaching, so there’s a very strong claim against them to ensure that they are doing so.”
The group wants to move with urgency, to get local authorities to act by the end of the Easter holidays later this month.
Scottish Labour has called for Holyrood to be recalled to debate a spate of deaths in care homes linked to the coronavirus epidemic and the crisis over the resignation of the chief medical officer, Catherine Calderwood, on Sunday.
Elaine Smith, Labour’s business manager in the Scottish parliament, has written to Ken Macintosh, its presiding officer, to urge him to call the parliament back from recess so the Scottish government could be questioned about it.
Holyrood is now suspended until 19 April for the Easter recess but because of the social-distancing and lockdown regulations, its sittings have been cut to one per week. It sat last Wednesday but will not meet again until Wednesday April 22.
It has emerged that 16 elderly residents of the Burlington care home in Glasgow, many of whom had serious underlying health issues, have died over the last week with Covid-19 like symptoms but were not tested or taken to hospital. Two members of staff at the home are being treated for Covid-19.
She said that “requires urgent scrutiny”. Age Scotland, the charity for older people, said there were questions about a lack of NHS support in Scottish care homes, and a lack of personal protection equipment for care workers.
Smith said it was unfair that opposition parties were unable to challenge the Scottish government about these controversies, but had to rely on media questioning the first minister once a day in online news conferences.
“It is unacceptable that questions to the first minister are solely left to the Scottish press with members of parliament having to follow developments via the media.
“[I] hope you will agree that parliament should not now continue with an Easter break whilst questions remain unanswered regarding these issues and that the Scottish Government must be held to account and scrutinised by members during these unprecedented times of national crisis.”
The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 among prisoners has increased by a fifth in three days, the latest figures have shown.
As at 5pm on Sunday, 107 prisoners had tested positive for coronavirus across 38 prisons, up 21% from 88 inmates across 29 jails as at 5pm Thursday. There are 83,000 prisoners in England and Wales in 117 prisons.
The number of prison staff who have tested positive rose during the same period from 15 across nine prisons to 19 staff across 12 prisons, while the number of infected prisoner escort and custody services (Pecs) staff remained at four.
On Saturday, the justice secretary, Robert Buckland, announced that up to 4,000 risk-assessed prisoners who are within two months of their release date will be temporarily released from jail.
The Downing Street press conference has now finished. Raab said planning for the end of the lockdown was taking place, but added:
“The risk right now is if we take our focus off the strategy, which is beginning to work, we won’t get through this peak as soon as we want to.”
Updated
Whitty reiterates that it was not him who told the prime minister to go to hospital. Asked if Johnson could have pneumonia, he adds: “This is a question for him and his medical advisers, who are outstanding.
“I am absolutely not going to discuss any individual patient and I do not have the full details, nor should I.”
Whitty says he is “very confident” that the UK will develop antibody tests “over the next period”.
He adds that it should not be “particularly surprising to anyone who understands how tests are developed” that prototypes so far have failed.
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Raab suggests that he has not spoken to the prime minister today, but spoke to him “over the weekend”.
Boris Johnson is being “kept abreast of all the relevant developments”, although Raab chaired a meeting that he would usually chair.
Whitty says that some coronavirus patients will be “perfectly capable” of working from their hospital beds, while others are not. He adds that it’s up to the individual patient and their doctor.
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Whitty says there are several things to consider when deciding on an exit strategy for the UK’s coronavirus lockdown:
- Direct effects of people dying from coronavirus.
- Indirect effects of the NHS being overwhelmed by patients.
- Effects of other healthcare being postponed during the outbreak.
- Long-term health effects of the socioeconomic impact.
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Raab adds that while the prime minister is “in charge”, he will continue to take doctors’ advice on what to do next.
The chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, says he had also advised Johnson to take the medical advice of the NHS doctors who are treating him.
Updated
Angela McLean, the deputy chief scientific adviser, is now speaking at the Downing Street press conference.
She says the growth in the number of people admitted to hospital with Covid-19 symptoms is not as bad at it would have been if lockdown measures had not been put in place.
The number of cases had steadily grown up until 1 April. “But it really is too soon to see the effects of the big changes we all made to our lives from 23 March onwards,” she added.
Even if the number of people being admitted to hospitals and ICU units does start to stabilise, the number is expected to rise “because of course it takes time after people have been admitted to hospital for them either to get better, or very sadly to die.”
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The government has helped more than 20,000 Britons get home from Spain since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as 13,000 from Egypt and 8,000 from Indonesia.
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The Foreign Office is deploying its diplomatic network around the world to source and buy ventilators and protective equipment for the NHS, says Raab.
A total of 17,911 people have been admitted to hospital in the UK with coronavirus symptoms.
Raab also reiterates that the prime minister, Boris Johnson, remains in hospital under observation and continues to lead the government.
Updated
Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, has begun the daily Downing Street press briefing on the coronavirus outbreak.
Angela Merkel has sent Boris Johnson her well wishes as he remains in hospital with coronavirus symptoms.
The German chancellor’s spokesman said on Twitter that she wished him “much strength and a speedy recovery and hopes that he can leave hospital soon”.
Kanzlerin #Merkel wünscht dem britischen PM @BorisJohnson viel Kraft und gute Besserung und hofft, dass er das Krankenhaus bald wieder verlassen kann.
— Steffen Seibert (@RegSprecher) April 6, 2020
Chancellor #Merkel wishes @BorisJohnson much strength and a speedy recovery and hopes that he can leave hospital soon. pic.twitter.com/kjcNsVUwsM
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Local councils and teachers’ unions have welcomed a government announcement that food vouchers made available to schools and families of children entitled to free school meals in England are being extended to cover the Easter holidays.
Ministers said last week that qualifying families could claim shopping vouchers of £15 a week per child in term time only. But over the weekend Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said the vouchers would continue to be paid over the two-week Easter break, benefiting an estimated 1.3 million youngsters in England.
Cllr Judith Blake, chair of the Local Government Association’s children and young people board, said: “We are pleased that the government has listened to our call to extend the food voucher scheme to cover the Easter holidays.
“No young person should have to go hungry and ensuring vulnerable pupils - including those on free school meals and with special educational needs and disabilities - are provided for is a top priority for councils and schools.
“There are over 1.3 million young people entitled to free school meals and the number of families in need is likely to be much greater as the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has forced thousands of families into financial insecurity, meaning parents who did not previously qualify for free school meals may be eligible for them.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “Many struggling families will be finding it even harder than normal to make ends meet in the current emergency and with children at home for a long period.
“The extension of the voucher scheme will make a real difference in helping to alleviate the risk of children going hungry.”
Updated
UK death toll rises to 5,373
The Department of Health and Social Care said as of 5pm yesterday 5,373 people who had tested positive for coronavirus have died in UK hospitals.
The total is up 439 from 4,934 yesterday, although it does not take into account those who have died in the community.
As of 9am on Monday, 208,837 people had been tested for the virus, of which 51,608 had tested positive.
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Police are investigating a suspected hate crime in which a person coughed in the face of a woman who is registered blind.
Wiltshire police said the woman, who is aged in her 50s, was walking with her guide dog in Melksham at the weekend.
Her guide dog alerted her that a person was nearby so the victim shouted out that she couldn’t social distance as she was unable to see and asked the person to keep their distance.
However, instead of keeping a distance, the person approached the victim and coughed in her face – the victim felt their breath against her cheek.
Sgt David Hambly said: “Especially due to the current climate, the victim felt especially anxious and shocked by this person’s actions and immediately went home and washed her face and hands.
“This is completely unacceptable behaviour and we are treating this as an incident of hate crime – the suspect in this case has shown complete disregard for this woman’s health and vulnerabilities and I know members of the local community will be both saddened and disappointed to hear of this person’s actions.”
The incident took place at approximately 6pm on Saturday 4 April.
Updated
Nine people have died at a Liverpool care home since last Sunday, the Liverpool Echo reports.
One of those who died at Oak Springs Care Home this weekend tested positive for the virus, while two residents who are exhibiting symptoms of the virus remain in a critical condition in hospital.
As @PaulaBarkerMP says, it is vital that care home staff are tested and given protective equipment as a matter of urgency, for their own safety and the safety of the vulnerable residents they care for https://t.co/9XCH1jZgfo
— Liam Thorp (@LiamThorpECHO) April 6, 2020
A member of staff has also now tested positive for the virus and is self-isolating, after receiving a test because her partner works for the NHS.
Chief Supt Paul Griffiths, President of the Police Superintendents’ Association, told MPs there is currently an absentee rate across the police estate of 13%.
The total workforce as at September last year, which was the most recently available official statistics, was 205,000, 13% would equal around 26,650.
Answering questions from the MP Tim Loughton on the home affairs select committee, Griffiths said no forces were highlighting risk at this stage in terms of service provision. Griffiths said: “The absent rate is approximately 13% across the whole national establishment, covering police and staff. Some are sick, some self isolating, some with caring responsibilities.”
He added: “Even with that capacity issue, none of the police forces are flagging up anything they can’t cope with at this stage.”
Updated
More from our home affairs correspondent, Jamie Grierson, on this afternoon’s remote session of the home affairs select committee.
Sgt Simon Kempton, the operational lead for Covid-19 at the Police Federation of England and Wales, has told MPs that there are early indications of an increase in suicide attempts and suicides during the lockdown.
Answering questions from the Labour MP Stephen Doughty during the session, Kempton said: “At the moment, we are coping but we’re starting to see in some areas, particularly specialist areas, that the burden is starting to rise as we lose staff.”
“It’s going to be vital that we keep an eye on that. There are very early indications of an increase in suicide attempts and suicides – it’s far too early to say if that’s a real trend, but there are early indications of that. Quite often the police are the agency who are trying to deal with that situation.”
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Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag stage show, which spawned two television series and helped catapult her to international stardom, is to be streamed to raise money for coronavirus charities.
The West End run of Fleabag was one of the hottest theatre tickets of 2019. In September it was broadcast live to cinema audiences through National Theatre Live.
From Monday afternoon viewers in the UK and Ireland will be able to stream a recording of the show via the Soho Theatre’s on demand site. It will cost £4, with the money going to charities.
The show, first performed at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2013, will also be available on Amazon Prime for a fortnight from 10 April.
annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in January. Photograph: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Proceeds will go to charities which include the National Emergencies Trust (NET), NHS Charities Together and Acting For Others, as well as a newly launched Fleabag Support Fund which will distribute grants of £2,500 to freelancers working in the UK theatre industry affected by the coronavirus crisis.
Waller-Bridge said: “I hope this filmed performance of Fleabag can help raise money while providing a little theatrical entertainment in these isolated times. Thank you to all our partners and to the creative team who have waived their royalties from this production to raise money for such vital causes in this unbelievably challenging situation.
“All money raised will support the people throughout our society who are fighting for us on the front lines and those financially devastated by the crisis, including those in the theatre community. Thank you in advance to those who donate. Now go get into bed with Fleabag! It’s for charity! Px”
Updated
JK Rowling has said she has “fully recovered” after experiencing “all symptoms” in line with Covid-19.
The Harry Potter author said on Twitter that she had been ill for two weeks but has not been tested for the virus.
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Updated
Back in the remote sessions of the home affairs select committee, police leaders have called for more “emotional engagement” with the public to convince them to adhere to the lockdown restrictions.
Sgt Simon Kempton, operational lead for Covid-19 response at the Police Federation of England and Wales, which represents tens of thousands of rank and file officers, said the messaging is focused on enforcement, rather than on an emotional level, which could address the minority of the public who do not want to comply with the restrictions.
Kempton said:
Part of the messaging is if you go out and you’re breaching the regulations you may end up with a fine or criminal record.
Within the last 24 hours, we’ve lost a nurse and we’ve lost a midwife to Covid-19.
I think if the message is more around by not going out you’re protecting these nurses, these doctors, who are saving lives that might have a really positive effect.
Kempton added that the “vast majority” of the public were complying and understood why the restrictions were being applied.
“There are still a minority of members of the public who simply do not wish to comply with the restrictions,” Kempton said.
“We saw over the weekend with the nice weather, some of my colleagues, having a monumental task, one or two officers having to empty a park with hundreds of people in it. Most of those individuals wanted to argue their case as to why they were doing something within the guidelines.
“What would help perhaps is engaging the public on an emotional level, so more of them wanting to comply, not just that they felt they had to comply, but they wanted to comply.
“And that would relieve some of the burden on my colleagues and we’d have to deal with fewer people.
“If we get that emotional engagement with the public so they want to help the collective effort we’ll have to go to enforcement on far fewer occasions.”
Updated
British tourists stranded in Nepal say they have had to turn to the embassies of other European countries for help, after the British government failed to rescue them.
Maria Terziska, who arrived back in the UK yesterday on a French rescue flight, said, “I have never felt so helpless in my life… It was a really scary situation and it felt like the British embassy did not care about anyone or anything.”
Terziska said she was trekking in the Everest region when she heard that the Foreign Office was advising British nationals to return home.
“The British embassy did nothing to get us back to Kathmandu, it was the Nepali tourism authorities and our tour guide who got us back,” she said.
In Kathmandu, Terziska said she was unable to get any information about flights from the embassy, so she turned to the French for help.
Another British trekker, Scott Hopkinson, managed to return to the UK on a German rescue flight. “I felt so stressed. There was no clarity from the British embassy. It was giving out conflicting information,” said Hopkinson.
The British embassy in Kathmandu announced today that rescue flights for British nationals would be leaving on Wednesday and Friday, almost two weeks after German and French tourists began to be evacuated.
A seat on the flights arranged by the British embassy costs £800, twice the cost of the French rescue flight.
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab announced last week that the government had allocated £75million for rescue flights to repatriate British citizens stranded abroad by the coronavirus.
On 22 March, the Nepal government banned all international flights. The announcement came at the height of the tourist season when tens of thousands of visitors arrive to trek and climb in the Himalayas.
Two days later the government announced a lockdown, leaving many trekkers trapped in remote regions, struggling to return the capital Kathmandu, which has the country’s only international airport.
The Foreign Office has been approached for comment.
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Detectives will work with body recovery teams to check if there are any suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths of suspected coronavirus victims in the community.
Small police units are undergoing training alongside fire brigade and NHS staff to collect the dead across London and ease pressure on hospitals and the London ambulance service.
The teams, who have been given personal protective equipment (PPE), will attend houses, care homes and hospices to confirm the death and identity of the deceased.
Pandemic Multi-Agency Response Teams began working in the capital last Tuesday amid projections that about a third of suspected Covid-19 deaths could happen outside hospitals.
Team members are understood to have volunteered to take on the role, with Scotland Yard’s Supt Wayne Matthews telling them they should not “underestimate how unpleasant this task is going to be”.
“What we are asking the officers to do is essentially deal with one fatality, then another and then another,” he told PA Media.
“So obviously the mental robustness and physical aptitude to be able to do this is why we asked for volunteers, people who felt they were able to do this.”
After dealing with a case, the teams have the option of a “decompression period” to help them deal with the mental toll.
Updated
In lighter news, a dalek has been spotted patrolling the streets of Robin Hood’s Bay, in North Yorkshire, ordering residents to “stay indoors”.
In a video shared on social media, the Doctor Who villain demanded: “All humans must stay indoors. All humans will self-isolate. By order of the Daleks.”
Things are getting pretty serious. pic.twitter.com/OLc6egO9V5
— Ben (@Jamin2g) April 3, 2020
It follows other, er, inventive responses to encourage Britons to follow lockdown guidance. Earlier we reported that a Derbyshire police officer had taken to rapping through a megaphone while patrolling the streets.
She urged people to: “Take our advice and you may not get sick. Stay at home whenever you can. Don’t go out on the streets with your fam.”
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The Open 2020 has been cancelled in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the first time since the second world war that the major has not been played.
The Open was due to be played at Royal St George’s in Kent from 12-19 July but the course will instead host the championship a year later in 2021.
St Andrews, which had been due to host the championship in 2021, will now play host to the 150th Open in 2022.
Martin Slumbers, the chief executive of the R&A, said: “We care deeply about this historic championship and have made this decision with a heavy heart. We appreciate that this will be disappointing for a great many people around the world but we have to act responsibly during this pandemic and it is the right thing to do.”
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Pep Guardiola’s mother, Dolors Sala, has died aged 82 in Barcelona after contracting Covid-19.
Manchester City said it was “devastated” to report its manager’s loss.
The Manchester City family are devastated to report the death today of Pep’s mother Dolors Sala Carrió in Manresa, Barcelona after contracting Corona Virus. She was 82-years-old .
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 6, 2020
Guardiola, who is at his home in the Spanish city, previously donated €1m to the Medical College of Barcelona and the Angel Soler Daniel Foundation to fight the coronavirus outbreak.
I’m Amy Walker, taking over the live blog from my colleague Matthew Weaver. You can get in touch or follow me on Twitter @amyrwalker.
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Police leaders have told MPs they hope to have access to Covid-19 testing before the end of the month but face “difficult decisions” about which officers will have access to the screenings.
Chief Supt Paul Griffiths, the president of the Police Superintendents’ Association, and Sgt Simon Kempton, the operational lead for Covid-19 at the Police Federation of England and Wales, told a remote session of the home affairs select committee they understood coronavirus tests had been ordered but were unsure on timetables for rolling them out.
Yvette Cooper, the chair of the committee, asked when police might be able to access testing as part of the government’s testing strategy. Griffiths said:
We’ve been given no indication as to when the testing will take place. We understand orders have gone in for tests to go through and tests will be available for critical roles but we’re still waiting for timescales. We’re hopeful that during the course of this month, the tests will be available for the police.”
Griffiths said he understood the tests were to ascertain whether the subject had the disease, rather than an antibody test.
Kempton said they hoped to have the tests by the end of the month. “Even then, there’s going to be some difficult decisions about who gets them first,” he said. “One of the jobs of my senior colleagues is managing that effect.”
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Ed Miliband returns to shadow cabinet
Keir Starmer, has named his full shadow cabinet, including Ed Miliband as shadow business secretary and the return of Lord Falconer as shadow attorney general.
He said:
I’m proud to have appointed a shadow cabinet that showcases the breadth, depth and talents of the Labour party.
This is a new team that will be relentlessly focused on acting in the national interest to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and rebuilding Labour so that it can win the next election.”
Here’s the full list:
· Keir Starmer, Leader of the Opposition
· Angela Rayner, Deputy Leader and Chair of the Labour party
· Anneliese Dodds, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
· Lisa Nandy, Shadow Foreign Secretary
· Nick Thomas-Symonds, Shadow Home Secretary
· Rachel Reeves, Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
· David Lammy, Shadow Justice Secretary
· John Healey, Shadow Defence Secretary
· Ed Miliband, Shadow Business, Energy and Industrial Secretary
· Emily Thornberry, Shadow International Trade Secretary
· Jonathan Reynolds, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary
· Jonathan Ashworth, Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
· Rebecca Long-Bailey, Shadow Education Secretary
· Jo Stevens, Shadow Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
· Bridget Phillipson, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
· Luke Pollard, Shadow Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary
· Steve Reed, Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary
· Thangam Debbonaire, Shadow Housing Secretary
· Jim McMahon, Shadow Transport Secretary
· Preet Kaur Gill, Shadow International Development Secretary
· Louise Haigh, Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary (interim)
· Ian Murray, Shadow Scotland Secretary
· Nia Griffith, Shadow Wales Secretary
· Marsha de Cordova, Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary
· Andy McDonald, Shadow Employment Rights and Protections Secretary
· Rosena Allin-Khan, Shadow Minister for Mental Health
· Cat Smith, Shadow Minister for Young People and Voter Engagement
· Lord Falconer, Shadow Attorney General
· Valerie Vaz, Shadow Leader of the House
· Nick Brown, Opposition Chief Whip
· Baroness Smith, Shadow Leader of the Lords
· Lord McAvoy, Lords’ Opposition Chief Whip
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Summary
Boris Johnson in ‘good spirits’ but remains in hospital
Boris Johnson has tweeted that he is in “good spirits” but No 10 has stopped describing his symptoms as “mild”. As the prime minister continues to be observed by doctors, Downing Street said it was too early to say whether he would be staying for another night and did not deny that he had been given oxygen treatment.
Tuesday’s cabinet meeting postponed
Dominic Raab chaired Monday’s coronavirus meeting, while a cabinet meeting planned for Tuesday has been postponed. The chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, has reportedly returned to work after self-isolating with coronavirus symptoms. Dominic Cummings is yet to return to work in Downing Street but remains in communication with officials, a spokesman said.
Nicola Sturgeon warns of ‘worse to come’
Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon has warned “there is almost certainly worse still to come” after Scotland’s death toll increased to 222. Among the latest two deaths were a home care worker from West Dumbartonshire. Sturgeon stressed that this would not be a “true figure” and would be “artificially low” as officials change the way deaths are reported.
Sturgeon defends initial decision not to sack Scotland’s CMO
Earlier Sturgeon defended her decision not to sack Catherine Calderwood as soon as it emerged that Scotland’s chief medical officer had twice visited her second home while fronting the stay at home campaign. But she said by Sunday evening it became clear the Calderwood’s behaviour was “undermining” the message that people should stay at home.
Deaths in England increase by 403
The number of people who have died from coronavirus in the England has increased by 403 to 4,897. NHS England said the latest victims were aged between 35 and 106 years old. Of the 403 patients (aged between 52 and 94 years old), 15 had no known underlying health condition.
Deaths in Wales increase by 27 to 193
The death toll in Wales from coronavirus has increased by 27 to 193. A Covid-19 testing centre at Cardiff City’s stadium is due to open on Tuesday. The Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford, has said he believes the lockdown will have to continue beyond Easter.
Antibody test ‘at least a month away’
A mass antibody test is at least a month away, a leading government scientific adviser has said. Professor Sir John Bell, from Oxford University, who advises the government on life sciences, said the search was on for an antibody test that would prove effective, but those tested so far had failed. He also warned the test was at least a month a way.
Labour frontbencher taken to hospital
Tony Lloyd, 70, the Labour MP for Rochdale, has been taken to hospital in Manchester with coronavirus. Lloyd is the shadow Northern Ireland secretary. Richard Burgon, the former shadow justice secretary, has been sacked by Labour’s new leader Keir Starmer Andrew Gwynne has stepped down as shadow communities secretary, complaining of being sidelined as election coordinator under Jeremy Corbyn.
Jenrick warns councils against park closures
The communities secretary warned councils to only close parks as a “last resort”. South London’s Brockwell Park was reopened after closing on Sunday a day after thousands appeared to ignore physical distancing measures in the park.
Surge in domestic abuse calls
There was a 25% surge in calls to the National Domestic Abuse Helpline in a five-day period during the coronavirus lockdown, according to the charity Refuge. There was also increase of about 150% in visits to nationaldahelpline.org.uk compared with the last week in February. The warning came after dozens of organisations helping domestic violence victims reported an increase in their caseload since the start of the UK’s outbreak.
Debenhams set to go into administration
The department store chain Debenhams is on the brink of collapse after bosses confirmed it has filed a notice of intent to appoint administrators affecting around 22,000 workers. The majority of its employees in the UK are currently being paid under the government’s furlough scheme, after its stores closed following the shutdown of non-essential stores.
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Nearly 13,000 retired health professionals and students have offered to work in Scotland’s health service to help cope with the extra demands of the coronavirus crisis, Jeane Freeman, the Scottish health secretary, has said.
Freeman said that by Monday morning 12,725 people had answered an appeal for retired staff and students to come forward, including more than 2,600 former nurses, more than 3,000 nursing students, 1,272 retired doctors and more than 1,650 with social care experience.
The remainder were physiotherapists, biomedical students, occupational therapists; dentists and midwives, paramedics. Students would be fully paid, and be able to complete their studies, while all the recruits would be entitled to sick pay equivalent to an employee with five years’ experience, she added.
“That response in a relatively short period of time shows the incredible dedication of our health care community, current, retired and future, to give us all their skills and expertise to help us meet the challenge ahead,” Freeman said.
They had registered directly with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Lothian or via a national “accelerated recruitment portal”. Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister, said on Monday about 6% of NHS staff in Scotland were off work with coronavirus-related illnesses or responsibilities.
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Boris Johnson is still in hospital suffering from coronavirus and had a “comfortable night” but No 10 has dropped the description of his symptoms as mild.
As the prime minister continues to be observed by doctors, Downing Street said it was too early to say whether he would be staying for another night and did not deny that he had been given oxygen treatment.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said he was in St Thomas’ hospital in south London and was in “good spirits”, while continuing to work on his red box of government papers.
A dairy farmer in Wales says he has been forced to dump 11,500 litres of milk because of the pandemic.
Llyr Griffiths provides milk to Freshway, which supplies a number of high-profile companies including Starbucks and British Airways.
In a post on Facebook, he wrote:
I am not blaming Freshways, however this is only happening due to the affect of the pandemic. The government have said they will assist businesses affected by Covid-19 ... but I am yet to see any real financial help to the processors business or us as farmers.
We already know we are losing 2p per litre, therefore we are working at a loss, as well as a deferral in payment until the 15th May.
I’m hopefully going to be the fourth generation farming on our family farm. But if the farmer carries on being on the bottom of the pecking order, then I doubt my son will want to be the fifth...and I am sure this is true for many other young farmers.
It is time for change, we need government action.
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Coronavirus deaths in England increase by 403 to 4,897
The number of people who have died from coronavirus in the England has increased by 403 to 4,897.
The UK figure will be available later.
It is the second day in a row that the rise is lower than the day before. Last weekend there was also a dip in the rise in recorded deaths which was attributed to a lack of officials available over the weekend to verify the latest numbers.
The NHS said the patients were aged between 35 and 106 years old. Of the 403 patients (aged between 52 and 94 years old), 15 had no known underlying health condition.
It gave this
East of England 44
London 129
Midlands 75
North East & Yorkshire 67
North West 43
South East 18
South West 27
Total 403
Updated
Death toll in Wales increase by 27 to 193
The death toll in Wales from coronavirus has increased by 27 to 193.
Dr Giri Shankar, incident director for outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said:
302 new cases have tested positive for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Wales, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 3,499, although the true number of cases is likely to be higher.
27 further deaths have been reported to us of people who had tested positive for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), taking the number of deaths in Wales to 193.
We offer our condolences to families and friends affected, and we ask those reporting on the situation to respect patient confidentiality.
Public Health Wales has conducted more than 15,000 tests for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) on nearly 13,000 individuals since the start of this outbreak.
UPDATED STATEMENT
— Public Health Wales (@PublicHealthW) April 6, 2020
302 new cases have tested positive for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Wales, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 3,499, although the true number of cases is likely to be higher.
Read more here: https://t.co/Z1N6KvyokQ pic.twitter.com/TrGhsQ9PI8
The Scottish government has confirmed that 222 people who have tested positive for coronavirus in Scotland have died.
Update on #coronavirus testing
— Scottish Government (@scotgov) April 6, 2020
As of 2pm today 24,036 Scottish tests have concluded
20,075 confirmed negative
3,961 positive
222 patients who tested positive have sadly died.
Our latest update ➡️ https://t.co/kZjGNz2EDe
Health advice ➡️ https://t.co/l7rqArB6Qu#COVIDー19 pic.twitter.com/7Q5Nlt7qWy
Johnson: 'I'm in good spirits'
Boris Johnson has tweeted that he is in “good spirits” after his hospital tests. He says he is in touch with his team.
I’d like to say thank you to all the brilliant NHS staff taking care of me and others in this difficult time. You are the best of Britain.
— Boris Johnson #StayHomeSaveLives (@BorisJohnson) April 6, 2020
Stay safe everyone, and please remember to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives.
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Antibody test 'at least a month away'
A mass antibody test is at least a month away, a leading government scientific adviser has said.
Professor Sir John Bell, from Oxford University, who advises the government on life sciences, said the search was on for an antibody test that would prove effective, but those tested so far had failed.
Oxford is involved in scrutinising antibody tests that can tell people whether they have had the virus and can get back to normal life – one of the key routes out of the UK’s current lockdown.
In a blog on the university website under the header “What next?”, Bell said:
We will of course continue to look for a test that meets the criteria of an acceptable test.
He said the search was on for a test that was sensitive and specific enough that it could be taken at home.
That should be achievable, and the government will be working with suppliers both new and old to try and deliver this result so we can scale up antibody testing for the British public,” he said.
This will take at least a month.
Bell said “large-scale testing” was a government strategy “which will be crucial for getting us back to our normal lives in the coming months”. He explained that long-term protection to Covid-19 comes from antibodies – “small proteins produced by your immune system that attack the virus and neutralise it”.
Bell added: “These antibodies emerge during an infection and peak 28 days after the infection. They then remain for months afterwards continuing to provide protection, and the cells that produce them also are available to fight off the infection if it returns.”
Updated
Readers have been in touch to point out that large numbers of people were not flouting physical distancing measures in Brockwell Park, south London, on Saturday.
Chris Tryhorn writes:
The impression that has been given that large numbers of people were flouting government guidance is not accurate, as far as I could see. It was busy in the park – but this is a densely populated area, home to tens of thousands of people, many of whom have no outside living space. I saw no large groups; I remember seeing one group of three teenagers and noting that everyone else was on their own or in pairs, or parents with young children.
Some people were sitting on the grass or on benches but at a distance from others. Most people were on the move and many were visibly taking care to stay away from other people as best as they could. It can be difficult to stay two metres away from other people at all times in a busy park. No one that I saw was gratuitously ignoring social distancing guidance.
Closing parks would in my view be appallingly damaging to people’s physical and mental health at a time when they are dealing with unprecedented strain and anxiety. It will force people into smaller open spaces or on to roads where it will be harder to practise social distancing. If there is an irresponsible minority – and I didn’t see them – surely they should be spoken to, asked to change their behaviour and then if necessary sanctioned. Why should the responsible majority suffer?
Perhaps more could be done to promote responsible use of parks. This is very important because we don’t want to get into a situation where urban populations can no longer tolerate the lockdown.
Another reader, who did not want to be named, said:
I live in a small flat with no garden and walked to the park with my husband and baby. I ran around the park while my husband let our baby crawl on the grass. I saw no large groups, many people exercising, and everyone I encountered was assiduously respecting two-metre distance. There were some people sitting on the grass alone or in household or family groups. I was doing some stretches at the end of my run while our child crawled and we were moved on by a policeman who came within two metres of us. He said that while it was allowed for us to accompany our child crawling he wanted us to move on to set an example, which we did.
As a local resident I believe that during challenging times green spaces provide a vital source of well-being and psychological resilience. Local authorities and the police must not let a few people sitting on the grass in household groups – which, let’s be honest, carries extremely low risk of Covid transmission – to prevent people from exercising in the fresh air.
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Labour MP in hospital with coronavirus
Tony Lloyd, 70, the Labour MP for Rochdale, has been taken to hospital in Manchester with coronavirus, ITV’s Hannah Miller reports.
Rochdale MP Tony Lloyd has been hospitalised in Manchester Royal Infirmary with coronavirus.
— Hannah Miller (@hannahITV) April 6, 2020
Labour Party say 'he is stable and responding to the treatment and dedicated care that he is receiving from the brilliant doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff.' @GranadaReports
Lloyd is still the shadow Northern Ireland secretary.
Wishing my good friend @tony4rochdale Tony Lloyd a full and fast recovery.
— Colum Eastwood (@columeastwood) April 6, 2020
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A Covid-19 testing centre at Cardiff City’s stadium is due to open on Tuesday. At the Welsh government’s press conference, the first minister, Mark Drakeford, said initially more than 200 tests a day would be carried out there.
The first key workers to be tested will be from the Gwent area, which has been a virus hot spot so far. Police officers and care home workers as well as NHS staff will be tested.
Drakeford said 1,100 tests were now being carried out. By mid-April 5,000 tests a day procured by the Welsh government will be carried out. Another 4,000 will be drawn down from the UK-wide provision.
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The Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford, has said he believes the lockdown will have to continue beyond Easter.
He said: “Everything that I have seen so far suggests to me that it would be foolish to throw away the enormous effort that everyone has made by simply removing the constraints we have been living under at that point. Everything I have seen suggests to me a further period of constraint will be necessary.”
Drakeford called for Cobra to meet soon to review the regulations. He said: “It’s important the four governments of the UK come together to consider the evidence and decide the best way forward together.”
He added there were signs that the lockdown was beginning to take effect but warned: “We know that things are likely to get worse before they get better.”
Drakeford said police in north and west Wales had reported some concern about people travelling to second homes over the warm weekend. “That is not essential travel,” he told a press conference in Cardiff.
But he also said: “I want to thank the thousands and thousands of people right across Wales who continue to follow the rules.”
Updated
Johnson’s chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, is yet to return to work in Downing Street but remains in communication with officials, a spokesman said.
“He is not back in No 10 today. He is in contact with No 10,” the prime minister’s official spokesman said.
Cummings was last seen in public running out of Downing Street shortly after Johnson announced he had tested positive for coronavirus.
Updated
During that Downing Street briefing, the spokesman also said 16,000 tests were conducted on Sunday, including 1,000 for NHS workers and their families.
That is still way behind the 100,000 a day testing target set for the end of April by Matt Hancock, the health secretary. It is also way below the 25,000 tests Boris Johnson promised on 18 March.
Testing latest:
— Steven Swinford (@Steven_Swinford) April 6, 2020
On Sunday a total of 16,000 tests were conducted, including 1,000 for NHS workers and their families
That brings total number of tests for NHS workers & families to 6,500 - still relatively small
PM spokesman says over 16000 tests carried out on Sunday - over 1000 of those on NHS staff and family #COVID19
— Andy Bell (@andybell5news) April 6, 2020
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The Protestant Orange Order has cancelled its annual Twelfth of July celebrations for only the third time since the 18th century.
Sixteen Orange parades in Northern Ireland and one in the Irish Republic will not go ahead this year. The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland said the cancellations were “in the best interests of our members, their families and the wider community”.
Since its formation at the end of the 1800s the Orange Order’s parades marking the victory of Prince William of Orange against the Catholic forces of James II at the Battle of Boyne have only been called off twice before: during the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 and during the second world war.
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No 10: Johnson remains in hospital for observation
Boris Johnson remains in St Thomas’ hospital “for observation”, with No 10 saying he had a “comfortable night” and is “in good spirits”.
Downing Street is not denying that the prime minister received oxygen treatment last night. Officials are refusing to give any further update on his condition.
When asked if he had pneumonia, the spokesman said any change in his condition would be made public. No 10 is no longer describing Johnson’s symptoms as “mild”, but confirmed he has a temperature and a cough.
The PM remains in charge but the daily coronavirus meeting was chaired by Dominic Raab, who will continue to do so while Johnson is absent.
Raab is still working from the Foreign Office, rather than Downing Street. Johnson is continuing to work through his red box of papers and No 10 is following infection advice in relation to the box.
There will be no cabinet on Tuesday, instead the daily coronavirus meeting will replace it.
Johnson went to hospital by private car but No 10 refused to say what type. It was his first visit to hospital since falling ill.
No 10 insisted it had been “transparent throughout” despite having claimed up until Johnson’s admission that his symptoms were mild.
A spokesman dismissed a Russian report that Johnson is on a ventilator as “disinformation”. The PM will be guided by the advice from his doctors when it comes to calls for him to stop working and rest, he said.
Updated
The Duchess of Cornwall has been reunited with the Prince of Wales after coming out of self-isolation, PA reports.
Camilla, 72, tested negative for coronavirus but isolated for 14 days after heir to the throne Charles contracted Covid-19.
The couple, who had been staying apart from one another at their Scottish retreat of Birkhall in Aberdeenshire, reach a milestone 15 years of marriage on Thursday.
A source said: “She came out of isolation this morning.”
Charles finished his isolation a week ago and spoke of the “strange, frustrating and often distressing” experience of being without friends and family.
Updated
Sturgeon: 'worse still to come' as Scotland's death toll rises to 222
Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, is holding her first coronavirus briefing since the resignation of Catherine Calderwood as Scotland’s chief medical officer.
She says a home care worker has died of coronavirus in West Dumbartonshire. She was one of two more victims in Scotland’s total death toll of 222.
Sturgeon stressed that this would not be a “true figure” and would be “artificially low” as officials change the way deaths are reported.
In total 3,961 people have tested positive across the country and the number of patients being treated in hospital for Covid-19 is 1,599 including 199 in intensive care.
She added: “Unfortunately there is almost certainly worse still to come, before we turn the corner of this virus.”
Sturgeon also sent her best wishes to Boris Johnson. His illness showed how the virus could affect anyone, Sturgeon said.
📺 Watch live: First Minister @NicolaSturgeon holds a press conference on coronavirus (#COVIDー19). https://t.co/DBa8lUphEs
— Scottish Government (@scotgov) April 6, 2020
Updated
Potential victims of modern slavery are to be allowed to stay in government-funded safe houses for the next three months, the Home Office has said.
Through the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), the official process for identifying victims of modern slavery, individuals are able to access support including accommodation for at least 45 days if found to be suspected victims.
Where they would ordinarily be assisted to move on from their accommodation, the temporary change will mean these individuals remain in safe accommodation.
The safeguarding minister, Victoria Atkins, said:
“The safety of modern slavery victims and the frontline staff supporting them remains a top priority. By taking this decisive action we will ensure that vulnerable people continue to have access to safe accommodation.”
The NRM will continue to take referrals of potential modern slavery victims and those referred will be provided with the support they require, including accommodation.
Kathy Betteridge, director of anti-trafficking and modern slavery for the Salvation Army, the primary provider of support to potential victims, said:
We have plans to ensure we continue to have the capacity to accommodate new victims needing support, which will contribute to the additional capacity now required following the government’s decision to restrict clients moving on from our network of safe houses.
Updated
A reader, James Greenwood, points out that Victoria Park, one of the largest open spaces in east London, has been closed since 25 March, following what he described as “kneejerk reaction” by Tower Hamlets council.
This has forced residents of this densely populated area wishing to go out for their daily exercise onto narrow canal towpaths and into the Olympic Park, significantly reducing the overall green space available and making it more difficult to adhere to social distancing guidelines as these spaces are now much busier.
Given statements by Robert Jenrick this morning that closing parks should be a “last resort”, and in light of other parks remaining open, or otherwise closing at times of high risk and subsequently reopening, can Tower Hamlets council to explain their justification for continuing to keep Victoria park closed?
The council continued to let the busy Sunday food market run on the 22 March a few days earlier.
Updated
The Local Government Association has defended the decision of some councils to close parks.
Responding to new guidance for councils not to close parks unless it is impossible to maintain social distancing in them, Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, chair of the LGA’s Culture, Tourism and Sport Board, said:
This is a national emergency and the minority of people who do not adhere to the guidance need to change their behaviour to keep us all safe. Councils are constantly monitoring the situation regarding our parks.
Councils know that parks are a lifeline for residents needing to get some exercise or fresh air and are great for physical and mental wellbeing.
This is why councils want to keep parks open, but people need to follow the social distancing advice, otherwise councils will be reluctantly forced to close them as a last resort to help prevent the coronavirus spreading.
Updated
Residents living in a Liverpool apartment block covered in dangerous cladding have been told they will have their waking watch stopped and must carry out the patrols themselves due to rising costs and fears that contractors coming into the building may bring the infection with them, Inside Housing reports.
Residents living in the Circle Development in central Liverpool were sent a letter by their property manager, Centrick, which confirmed that it would be stopping contractors from coming into the building to carry out a waking watch.
The company said the current waking watch was costing residents £3,284 a week and that outside contractors carrying out checks would increase the risk of bringing Covid-19 into the building.
It said: “The mortality risk of the virus is currently higher than the risk of a fire. On the basis of this high risk, we are stopping the waking watch and we would ask occupants to take over the role.”
Updated
Cabinet meeting postponed
Lobby journalists have been told that a cabinet meeting due to take place tomorrow has been postponed.
Cabinet won't meet tomorrow. It's technically recess, but govt Corona Virus morning meeting will still take place
— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) April 6, 2020
Cabinet postponed tomorrow.
— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) April 6, 2020
The Covid “war cabinet” meetings at 9.15am every day will coordinate Govt response. All of the other CV cabinet committees also continue
Updated
Whitty returns to work – reports
The chief medical officer Chris Whitty has reportedly returned to work after self-isolating with coronavirus symptoms.
Some good news: @CMO_England has recovered from his #coronavirus symptoms and is back at work
— Beth Rigby (@BethRigby) April 6, 2020
Updated
The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, has chaired Monday’s coronavirus meeting, while the prime minister remains in hospital, Downing Street has said.
Raab is the person designated to take over if the PM is unavailable, but that doesn’t make him the “designated survivor”.
And can we please (ie @BBCr4today) stop using the term Designated Survivor. It’s a US thing which refers to the continuation of Government in the event that Potus and EVERY OTHER cabinet minister and leader of the House of Representatives etc are wiped out. Doesn’t apply to Raab
— Marco Giannangeli (@marcogiann) April 6, 2020
Summary: Johnson could spend second night in hospital
Second night in hospital not ruled out for Boris Johnson
The communities secretary, Robert Jenrick, has not ruled out the prime minister spending more nights in hospital but has said he expects him to return to No 10 “shortly”. Jenrick said he had heard Johnson was “doing well” and hoped he’d be back to Downing Street shortly. Asked if the PM would spend more nights in hospital, Jenrick said: “He will obviously take the advice of doctors and nurses who are doing those tests and act accordingly.” He insisted Johnson remained in day-to-day charge of the government.
Jenrick warns councils against park closures
The communities secretary warned councils to only close parks as a “last resort”. South London’s Brockwell Park was reopened after closing on Sunday a day after thousands appeared to ignore physical distancing measures in the park.
Surge in domestic abuse calls
There was a 25% surge in calls to the National Domestic Abuse Helpline in a five-day period during the coronavirus lockdown, according to the charity Refuge. There was also increase of about 150% in visits to nationaldahelpline.org.uk compared with the last week in February. The warning came after dozens of organisations helping domestic violence victims reported an increase in their caseload since the start of the UK’s outbreak.
Sturgeon defends initial decision not to sack Scotland’s CMO
Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has defended her decision not to sack Catherine Calderwood as soon as it emerged that Scotland’s chief medical officer had twice visited her second home while fronting the stay at home campaign. But she said by Sunday evening it became clear the Calderwood’s behaviour was “undermining” the message that people should stay at home.
Debenhams set to go into administration
The department store chain Debenhams is on the brink of collapse after bosses confirmed it has filed a notice of intent to appoint administrators affecting around 22,000 workers. The majority of its employees in the UK are currently being paid under the government’s furlough scheme, after its stores closed following the shutdown of non-essential stores.
Keir Starmer’s reshuffle continues
Richard Burgon, the former shadow justice secretary, has been sacked by Labour’s new leader. Andrew Gwynne has stepped down as shadow communities secretary, complaining of being sidelined as election coordinator under Jeremy Corbyn.
Updated
The BBC’s senior news reader Huw Edwards has warned people to follow the guidelines for slowing the spread of Covid-19 as he revealed he has been in hospital with pneumonia.
Edwards, 58, expressed gratitude for the care he received and said he will return to BBC News at Ten this week.
He wrote on Twitter: “Big thanks to KingsCollegeNHS for superb care pneumonia. I’ll be back at BBCNews this week - keep safe everyone and follow the guidelines StayHomeSaveLives.”
Big thanks to @KingsCollegeNHS for superb care #pneumonia I’ll be back at @BBCNews this week — keep safe everyone and follow the guidelines #StayHomeSaveLives 🏴🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/dq6crgWVxz
— Huw Edwards (@huwbbc) April 5, 2020
Updated
Brockwell Park in south London has been opened again after it was closed on Sunday after overcrowding on Saturday.
Lambeth council said it hoped Sunday’s closure ensured the message was “crystal clear” to people who flouted social distancing measures.
Councillor Sonia Winifred, cabinet member for equalities and culture, said they were “working hard” to keep parks open during the crisis but said people must follow the rules. She said:
We will continue to monitor social distancing as far as possible during this lockdown, in coordination with the police.
After Sunday’s closure of Brockwell Park I’m sure the message is crystal clear and I’m sure people will observe the social distancing rules.
Patrolling parks at this time to make sure people are following the very clear national guidelines isn’t the best use of our resources. Neither is having to organise park closures.
So I would ask that people continue to stay at home to stop coronavirus spreading, and should only leave the house for the very limited reasons, as outlined by Public Health England.
Updated
Debenhams on the brink of collapse
Debenhams has confirmed it intends to appoint administrators for the second time in a year as it tries to protect its assets from creditors during the coronavirus lockdown.
The struggling department store chain said the process will provide it with protection from the threat of legal action “that could have the effect of pushing the business into liquidation while its 142 UK stores remain closed”.
The retailer’s creditors will be prevented from pursuing legal action for 10 working days while the company tries to secure a rescue deal.
Andrew Gwynne, the shadow communities secretary under Jeremy Corbyn, has resigned from the shadow cabinet. In a letter to Labour’s new leader, Keir Starmer, Gwynne complained his role as election coordinator under Corbyn was “torturous” and that he was “tired and bruised” about being sidelined.
It’s time for change. Now let’s get that @UKLabour Government we so desperately need. Here’s the letter I sent @Keir_Starmer on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/OSUI21h5Bl
— Andrew Gwynne MP (@GwynneMP) April 6, 2020
Updated
Derbyshire police, the force that tried to shame walkers with drone footage, has a tried new tactic for enforcing physical distancing – (bad) rap music:
Brilliant Message from Derbyshire police on Normanton Rd last night that’s the language people speak & understand round here Its a Rap, stay safe & STAY @ HOME, PC Mcginley your an absolute legend 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/EZ47tzIqps
— Ajit Singh Atwal (@AtwalAjit) April 5, 2020
Richard Burgon has lost his role in the shadow cabinet, as the reshuffle by Labour’s new leader, Keir Starmer, continues.
It’s been an honour to serve as Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary since 2016.
— Richard Burgon MP (@RichardBurgon) April 6, 2020
I’ve just had a chat with Keir who let me know I won’t be in his new Shadow Cabinet team.
As I've done since joining the Party in the mid-1990s, I'll continue to give my all to get a Labour Gov't.
Updated
Consumers are being urged by a marine conservation charity to choose less popular seafood species – such as crab, hake, mackerel, dab and herring – in order to support the UK fishing suppliers struggling amid the coronavirus.
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is calling on people to support local, sustainable businesses by shopping for responsibly caught seafood from their doorsteps.
As the UK lockdown continues, many seafood suppliers and businesses have switched to offer door-to-door deliveries of local, sustainable, restaurant-standard seafood. The MCS is urging consumers to check online to find local businesses to support them and sustainable fisheries during this uncertain time.
Jack Clarke, sustainable seafood spokesman at MCS, said:
It’s so important that we support the UK’s fishers at this crucial time when their livelihoods are at risk. The seafood caught around the UK is world-renowned, it graces Michelin-starred tables across the continent, yet rarely reaches our tables at home.
Many suppliers to restaurants which have been forced to close their doors are pivoting, and offering consumers restaurant-grade seafood at reasonable prices. Purchasing local, sustainably caught seafood is a fantastic way of supporting small businesses and reducing your food’s carbon footprint alongside being a chance to try something new.
Three-quarters of the fish caught by the UK’s fishing fleet is exported, mainly to Europe and Asia. However, as the pandemic forces the closure of export and import markets, UK fishers are left with huge volumes of seafood which UK consumers might often overlook.
Updated
Debenhams prepares to bring in administrators
Debenhams said it has the support of its lenders to enter administration and is engaging with employees and suppliers over the move.
Business live has more:
A man has been arrested following threats to a police community support officer conducting social distancing enforcement patrols, PA Media reports.
South Yorkshire police said the arrest was made at the weekend as officers responded to reports of flouting of the regulations in the Fir Vale area of Sheffield.
Officers said they enlisted a university student to help them explain the regulations and the seriousness of situation to members of the Roma community in the area.
Pictures were posted on social media apparently showing people congregating in groups on the terraced streets of that part of the city.
Sheffield North-East Neighbourhood Policing Team said on Facebook on Sunday:
Tonight a member of the Roma community who is studying at university has been on patrol with officers to try and assist with educating and explaining the seriousness of the situation the country is facing.
Yesterday a male was arrested and charged with public order offences having threatened the PCSO conducting enforcement patrols.
The team have seen a steady improvement on compliance in the area however there is still progress to be made.
Updated
Updated
The Times says Johnson is being treated in the nearest NHS hospital to Downing Street – Guys and St Thomas’ on the south bank of the Thames.
It was understood that Mr Johnson was driven to St Thomas’ hospital, across the Thames from Westminster, at about 8pm, and given oxygen treatment. He did not need an ambulance. Officials emphasised that it was not an emergency admission. They said that his doctor had wanted him to be assessed in hospital.
Kate Hoey, the former Labour MP for Vauxhall, which includes St Thomas’s, tweets that he is in good hands.
He certainly is in good hands at the wonderful @GSTTnhs
— Kate Hoey (@CatharineHoey) April 6, 2020
Updated
Labour’s new shadow chancellor calmly handled her first big test in the role when her young daughter burst into a room during a live video call broadcast on Sky.
Anneliese Dodds argued on Monday that the coronavirus crisis had further exposed the need to properly fund public services and rebalance the economy.
She said she wanted to work “constructively” with the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, in improving the government’s emergency packages, warning against any “partisan knockabout” during the crisis.
However, she endured a tense moment when she was interrupted during her first round of broadcast appearances after being promoted by the new Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer.
Appearing on Sky News on a video link from her home in Oxford, the mother-of-two coolly smiled and continued with barely any sign of disturbance when young Isabella burst into the room.
“I thought she was going to stay asleep, sorry ... so embarrassing,” Dodds said, when asked about the moment at the interview’s close. “She’s thankfully under the chair now.”
Good morning to new shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds and her child. pic.twitter.com/xvPAofKjnq
— Jim Waterson (@jimwaterson) April 6, 2020
Updated
Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland’s chief medical officer quit because it became clear the crisis over her breaching the lockdown risked “crowding out and undermining” the urgent message to avoid non-essential journeys.
Catherine Calderwood resigned late on Sunday night after admitting she had twice travelled from Edinburgh to her second home in Earlsferry, Fife, during the lockdown she had ordered Scots to follow, once with her husband and then for an overnight stay and beach walks with her family.
At 2.30pm on Sunday Sturgeon had insisted during her daily virus briefing that Calderwood could not and should not quit because her expertise was essential; at 4.40pm Sturgeon announced via press release Calderwood would stand back from all public-facing work on the epidemic. Then at 9.54pm, the Scottish government announced she had quit.
The first minister told Good Morning Britain the extent of the damage Calderwood’s breaches had caused to public confidence had become clearer during the day.
She made a big mistake in how she acted. I understand people’s anger. She was right to apologise. It was clear to us yesterday she couldn’t continue to be the face of the public information campaign and we said she wouldn’t be.
But to be candid, I did hope that I could continue to call on her advice and expertise because at this point in dealing with a pandemic, continuity of advice from somebody who has been immersed in this from the very outset was important and my view then, my view now, is that it’s far from ideal to have lost that at this stage.
But by last night it became very clear to me that whatever the risk of that was, [it] was outweighed by the risk of our message being crowded out and undermined by her continued [presence].
Updated
Leading doctors have provided a guide to the kind of treatment and tests the prime minister is likely to be having.
Derek Hill, professor of medical imaging science at UCL, said:
Many people attending hospital with Covid-19 have difficulty breathing. One test performed on these people is imaging of the lung, with ultrasound or CT scans, to get an indication of how badly their lungs are affected. Some people are rapidly discharged. Some others can quickly deteriorate and need help breathing.
We have no reason to believe the PM needs such help. But there are various types of breathing help, depending on the breathing difficulties. Some patients can manage with the help of oxygen, others with more serious breathing problems end up being put on a ventilator that breathes for them. This can involve heavy sedation and sometimes the patient needs to be paralysed.
The reasons some people get seriously ill with Covid-19 while others have minor symptoms is not yet fully understood. But doctors managing these patients report that more men than women have serious problems, and patients who are overweight or have previous health problems are at higher risk.
Dr Rupert Beale, group leader of the Cell Biology of Infection Laboratory at the Francis Crick Institute, said:
Doctors will be monitoring important vital signs such as oxygen saturations. They will also check blood tests to see what the immune response to the virus looks like, and to assess liver and kidney function. They will perform an electrocardiogram (ECG) to check the heart. More sophisticated tests may include a CT scan of the chest to get an accurate picture of the lungs. They will consider the best way to deliver oxygen, and will also consider other treatments depending on test results.
We are in a struggle between humanity and a deadly virus. Whatever your politics, we are all on the same side. I wish the prime minister a speedy recovery.
Dr Bharat Pankhania, senior clinical lecturer at University of Exeter Medical School, answered the following questions:
Why do some people need hospital care and others recover with mild symptoms?
The general pattern is that people with coexisting comorbidities tend to fare worse, it just about tips them over into needing support. Thus the older age group, starting from above 60 years old, they seem to show much more severe illness. It is in line with the adage that as we get older, we also pick up comorbidities along the way
However, this is not universal and as we know, fit and young people can also end up needing critical care support.
Does this mean he has pneumonia or not necessarily?
It is hard to tell, it may be just precautionary. If a patient is developing pneumonia, it can get progressively worse very quickly and hence early admission upon the first signs of difficulty with breathing are very import and hence it is important for people recovering at home that there be a monitoring system in place too. Something that we have thus far not introduced.
What sort of care do people receive in hospital when admitted with Covid-19?
Simple oxygen support, to oxygen via mask and in some cases ventilatory support. They may also introduce prophylactic medicines too. The plan is to enable oxygen exchange, enable the lungs to recover and while they are recovering we give a much higher does of oxygen to them as a tool to assist with keeping patients adequately oxygenated and prevent damage to other organs too.
What proportion of people who have Covid-19 tend to need hospital treatment?
We do not have the full range of data on this matter; estimates show that it would be in the range 5-10%.
Updated
Sturgeon: 'News management couldn't be further from my mind'
Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has defended her decision not to sack Catherine Calderwood as soon as it emerged that Scotland’s chief medical officer had twice visited her second home while fronting the stay at home campaign.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Sturgeon also denied trying to bury the story of Calderwood’s resignation last night under news about Boris Johnson being treated in hospital.
She said: “The normal rules of politics, or spin, or news management, couldn’t be further from my mind. I’m simply trying to do the best things.”
Sturgeon said she had initially hoped that Calderwood could remain in post.
She said:
I did hope that I could continue to call on her expertise because in a situation like this, it is far from ideal for me as first minister not to have that continuity of advice. But by last night, it became clear that the bigger risk was the damage it could be doing to the very important message the government is putting forward right now ...
I didn’t try to defend what she’d done because I didn’t think she should or can be defended. Last night, it became clear to me, and it became clear to her, that actually however valid that reason was, the bigger risk if she stayed in office was that important message could be undermined and that was not a risk either of us were willing to take.
Asked if it was her decision for Calderwood to go, Sturgeon said:
We had a long conversation last night, and it was my view, but she came to the same view. So we came to that by mutual agreement, but it was my firm view by last night that that was the correct course of action. She made a serious error of judgment and she has paid the price for that.
Sturgeon was earlier questioned on ITV’s Good Morning Britain about why Dr Calderwood was not sacked immediately. She said:
It may have been easier for me to have done that. All I can do is set out the good faith in which I’m trying to take the judgment that I am taking, not just on this but on a whole range of things.
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Scottish parks could be closed and people asked to stop exercising outside if the coronavirus epidemic worsens significantly, the country’s health secretary, Jeane Freeman, has confirmed.
Freeman was asked on BBC Scotland whether the Scottish government could ban outside exercise after warnings on Sunday from Matt Hancock, the UK government’s health secretary, that drastic measures could be imposed if people failed to observe social distancing laws.
We’ve always said if there is more that we need to do in order to suppress an increase in the number of Covid-19 case, which is essential to protect our NHS so it can cope and deliver the care that is necessary, then we will consider those further actions. That comes to us from scientific and medical advice.
“We’re open to considering further action but at this stage we are focused on ensuring that we get this maximum public support for the serious restrictions that we’ve asked them to abide by.”
Freeman also said that Scotland’s deputy chief medical officer, Dr Gregor Smith, would take over temporarily after his boss Catherine Calderwood resigned late on Sunday after she admitted twice flouting her own advice against non-essential travel.
The health secretary said Calderwood had been right to resign.
What became increasingly clear is that the advice that Dr Calderwood had given us was the right advice to stay at home [but] as the day wore on it was increasingly clear that her very serious actions in not following her own advice was undermining both that strong message and public confidence in that message. [It] is not a message we can afford to have undermined.”
Sturgeon would decide later whether to immediately start recruiting a new CMO; until then Smith would work with Prof Fiona McQueen, Scotland’s chief nursing officer, and Jason Leitch, national clinical. “That team carries on, and the focus remains on what we need to do to steer the country as successfully through the epidemic as we possibly can,” she said.
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A union is demanding that London Underground drivers are provided with masks and gloves to help protect them from contracting Covid-19.
Aslef said its members working on the tube were risking their own safety to provide a service for essential workers.
The Aslef official Finn Brennan said:
Every day brings fresh news of friends, family members and colleagues being struck down by this terrible virus.
Unlike politicians and managers, frontline transport staff can not work from home. Everything possible must be done to protect their safety.
Tube drivers and other TfL staff are risking their own health and that of their families by leaving home to provide transport for vital staff.
By refusing to close non-essential workplaces, the Government is endangering their safety and that of other key workers who rely on public transport.
Tube drivers must be provided with masks, gloves and instructions on how to use them safely, said Aslef. The call follows news over the weekend that five bus workers in London have died of the virus.
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WH Smith is preparing to raise new equity to get it through the coronavirus crisis, and the publisher of the Daily Mirror, Reach, is putting a fifth of its staff on furlough.
Business Live has more details and all the latest on the market reaction to hopes of slowdown in infections.
Deliveroo is to offer emergency Passover kits to members of the Jewish community who are struggling to obtain special food for the Seder meal which marks the start of the week-long festival this Wednesday.
The home delivery service has partnered with the Jewish charity Chabad Lubavitch UK to provide the “Seder-to-go” kits.
Each box will contain six small containers containing the items needed for the seder plate and a roll up seder plate. Also available are a box of Matzah, a bottle of grape juice, a bottle of wine, a Kiddush cup and a Haggadah – the text recited at the Seder.
The move is aimed at people who are vulnerable or self-isolating, and are unable to go shopping to buy items for the Seder. Delivery will be free of charge and contact-free.
Rabbi Bentzi Sudak, chief executive of Chabad Lubavitch UK, said:
These kits will help to ensure every Jewish person is able to celebrate the festival of our freedom in these uniquely challenging times.
Not only do the kits provide essential supplies for people who cannot go out to shop for Passover provisions, they mean that vulnerable people who should be staying at home do not have to choose between their safety and having a Seder.
For those in quarantine or self-isolation who have never conducted a Seder on their own, the included guide and Seder supplies will make that possible.
A senior minister has insisted Boris Johnson is fit enough to lead the country from his hospital bed after he was admitted with persistent coronavirus symptoms.
Former prime minister Tony Blair, who had to be operated on for an irregular heart beat while in office, has expressed sympathy for Johnson.
Speaking to Today, Blair said:
I have every sympathy and solidarity with him. I know it must be a hellish situation to be in.
Asked whether the prime minister should hand over control while ill, Blair said:
I’m not going to second guess them on that. He knows the state of his own condition and he will be judging it carefully himself, I’m sure.
25% rise in domestic abuse calls
There was a 25% surge in calls to the National Domestic Abuse helpline in a five-day period during the coronavirus lockdown, according to the charity Refuge.
In the week starting 30 March, from Monday to Friday, the helpline saw a significant daily rise in calls and contacts. There was also increase of around 150% in visits to nationaldahelpline.org.uk compared with the last week in February.
Refuge chief executive Sandra Horley said:
1.6 million women experienced domestic abuse last year, and self-isolation has the potential to aggravate pre-existing abusive behaviours by perpetrators.
While in lockdown or self-isolation, women and children are likely to be spending concentrated periods of time with perpetrators, potentially escalating the threat of domestic abuse and further restricting their freedom.
Domestic abuse isn’t always physical - it’s a pattern of controlling, threatening and coercive behaviour, which can also be emotional, economic, psychological or sexual.
Abuse is a choice a perpetrator makes, and isolation is already used by many perpetrators as a tool of control.
The warning came after than 25 organisations helping domestic violence victims reported an increase in their caseload since the start of the UK’s outbreak.
One group, Chayn, said that analysis of online traffic showed that visitors to its website had more than trebled last month compared with the same period last year. An audit of 119 organisations by the domestic abuse charity SafeLives found, however, that even as pressure on frontline services increased, most were being forced to reduce vital services.
Over the weekend, Merseyside Police repeated advice for victims of domestic abuse during the coronavirus lockdown after officers were called to a home in Rainhill, Merseyside, just before 11pm on Saturday following reports of an argument involving the two occupants.
A force spokesman said a 44-year-old woman had been stabbed in the face twice, causing injuries above her left eyebrow, and was taken to hospital for treatment. She was later released. A 47-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of wounding.
Two children are being looked after by family members following the incident, police said.
Refuge said if anyone is worried about a loved one, or about isolating with a perpetrator, they can call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or contact the Helpline via Refuge’s contact form at http://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk.
On park closures, Jenrick told Today that he had spoken to councils to warn them to be “very judicious” in only closing parks if they cannot ensure social distancing can be maintained in them.
Jenrick, who is responsible for local authorities, said he has “a lot of sympathy” with those who argue that public confidence could be lost by people in power with ample space telling those in crowded homes they cannot use parks or exercise outside. He said:
I’ve spoken over the weekend to a number of the councils who have had to close parks.
This is their decision, but I have asked them to be very judicious in taking that step and only to do that where they feel it is impossible to maintain social distancing rules within their parks or open spaces.
The former head of the civil service Lord Kerslake said it would be “sensible” for Johnson to “step back” if he is not well enough to carry out his role for now.
He told the Today programme:
If he’s not well enough it would be sensible to step back and let others take on the role. I think in the end if he’s not well, he will have to reflect on this because the job’s tough at the best of times and it’s doubly tough now.
Jenrick: 'PM doing well'
Interviewed on the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Jenrick said the prime minister will stay in hospital for “as long as he needs to”. But he added: “I’ve heard that he’s doing well.”
Asked if Johnson could spend another night in hospital, Jenrick said the prime minister will “take the advice of doctors.”
He pointed out again that Raab will chair today’s government meeting on coronavirus. But he again insisted Johnson was still in charge of the government.
Earlier the Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood, suggested Raab would be running day-to-day operations.
Conservative MP @Tobias_Ellwood says day to day operations will be handed to @DominicRaab whilst the Prime Minister is in hospital#KayBurley
— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 6, 2020
Read the latest here: https://t.co/x9C3jMoI1D pic.twitter.com/0sXSq3PI3b
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Jenrick also played down speculation that the government planned to close parks or ban outside exercise, but he urged the public to stick to the existing physical distancing rules.
He said he “disappointed” that some parks have been so busy that councils have been forced to close them.
He said:
There’s a moral obligation on us not just to protect ourselves, but to protect society. That was part of the message that the Queen delivered very well last night.
No council wants to close parks and open spaces. That really is an absolute last resort. We want people to be able to go out and have exercise, but that has to be done responsibly in accordance with the guidelines which is to go out alone with your household for a walk or run to get your daily fresh air and exercise, it is not to congregate with other people to have a barbecue or a picnic, and to put people’s lives in danger by breaching the social distancing rules.
Asked if the government was considering following France in making the public fill out forms before they could leave their homes, Jenrick said:
We don’t have any plans today to take those sorts of steps, but neither do we rule them out completely. What we want to see is the measures that have been implemented adhered to. For us all to take up our moral obligation to protect ourselves and others, and to play our part in an important national effort.
The communities secretary, Robert Jenrick, has insisted that Johnson will continue to lead the government while in hospital.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, said the prime minister “must be frustrated” by his condition.
He said:
He [Johnson] went into hospital yesterday for a series of routine tests. He spent the night in hospital. We all wish him well. We hope that as a result of those tests, he’ll be able to come back to Downing Street as soon as possible.
He continues to lead the government, [as] he has been ... over the course of the last 10 days. I’ve been on calls with him every couple of days. And he’s been working extremely hard, leading the government of being constantly updated. That’s going to continue.
He’ll continue to be kept informed as to what’s happening and to be in charge of the government. I hope he has a speedy recovery and he gets back to number 10 and can take charge in the way he would want to as soon as as possible.
I’m sure this is very frustrating for him: somebody like Boris, who wants to be hands on running the government from the front. But nonetheless, he’s still very much in charge of the government and and leading the efforts on coronavirus.
Asked how practical it is for Johnson to run a government from hospital, Jenrick said:
He’s only gone in last night for a series of routine tests. He has had persistent symptoms. We all hope and expect to be able to get back to Number 10 very soon and continue the work that he’s been doing. He is going to be kept informed about what’s
happening. In his absence.
Dominic Raab will lead the meeting this morning on the coronavirus with a number of other cabinet colleagues and we’re working as a team in the cabinet, and across government. The prime minister’s advisors, of course, remain in Number 10, to help him to make decisions and to be as informed as possible about events.
I appreciate people will be anxious and concerned, as we all increasingly know, colleagues and loved ones who have the virus or have had it. And the message I think, is clear that if we want to move forward, if we want to turn the tide on the virus, then we all need to play our part.
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Most people recover from Covid-19 within a week and cannot even be certain they had it, as they probably won’t be tested. The advice is to stay home, rest and take paracetamol. In 80% of cases, that is the end of it.
But NHS advice is that if the symptoms – mainly the dry cough, temperature and fatigue – have not gone by the end of a week, or they get worse, people should seek medical help.
Unlike Matt Hancock, the health secretary, who revealed he had Covid-19 on the same day as the prime minister, Boris Johnson has not recovered within the first week. He is said to have been admitted to hospital for tests, which may include scans of his lungs to check for pneumonia, as well as blood tests. He had a diagnostic test for Covid-19, so doctors will be looking for progression of the disease and to establish that he has not entered the second phase, where the immune system goes into overdrive.
Given the increasing pressure on hospitals at the moment, it is unlikely he will have been admitted unless doctors have real concerns. Minor tests could be carried out in Downing Street.
The new shadow chancellor, Anneliese Dodds, has said it is “critical” that ministers start working on a way out of the economic shutdown immediately.
Speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain, she said:
I think it’s critical that the government look at that economic exit strategy now because it will take some time to plan,
I really hope also they will be working closely with other countries on this because we will need to have a global boost.
We need to learn from how other countries are dealing with this.
Dodds said she would be speaking to her counterpart in government, Rishi Sunak, later in the day as she stressed the importance of working with the Tories during the crisis.
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Summary
Welcome to an earlier than usual edition our UK coronavirus live blog following the prime minister’s admission to hospital as he still suffers symptoms of the virus.
Downing Street said Boris Johnson will stay for “as long as needed” in the unnamed London NHS hospital where he was taken as a “precautionary step” on the advice of his doctor. Johnson remains “in charge of the government” and in contact with ministerial colleagues and officials despite his hospital admission, a spokesman said.
The news came just an hour after the Queen delivered a message of hope to the nation amid the Covid-19 pandemic, saying “we will overcome it” although we “may have more still to endure”.
Johnson, 55, tested positive for the virus 10 days ago, and had been in self-isolation inside his Downing Street flat since.
A No 10 spokeswoman said:
On the advice of his doctor, the prime minister has tonight been admitted to hospital for tests.
This is a precautionary step, as the prime minister continues to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus 10 days after testing positive for the virus.
The prime minister thanks NHS staff for all of their incredible hard work and urges the public to continue to follow the government’s advice to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.”
Donald Trump was among the well-wishers, starting Sunday night’s White House press briefing by saying Johnson was “a great friend of mine” and adding: “I’m sure he is going to be fine, he’s a strong man, a strong person.”
Meanwhile:
- Scotland’s chief medical officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood, resigned following criticism for visiting her second home and not adhering to social distancing advice.
- The Department of Health and Social Care said the number of reported coronavirus-related hospital deaths had risen by 621 to 4,934 as of 5pm on Saturday, up from 4,313 the day before.
- Princess Alexandra hospital in Harlow confirmed Lynsay Coventry, 54, who died on Thursday, was the first serving midwife to die after testing positive for the virus.
- The health secretary, Matt Hancock, warned outdoor exercise could be banned if people continued to flout the social distancing rules.
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