Evening summary
- The government has announced a £75m initiative to fly Britons who are stranded abroad home. The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, said charter flights would help repatriate Britons from “priority countries”, and travellers in countries where commercial flights were running would be given subsidies for tickets.
- The UK’s death toll from Covid-19 has risen to 1,408. The figures published by the Department of Health and Social Care relate to those that had died in hospitals as of 5pm on Sunday. From tomorrow, the ONS will begin producing weekly statistics which take in deaths in the community.
- The number of coronavirus-related admissions to hospitals is expected to continue to rise in coming weeks. Currently the NHS is seeing around 1,000 new patients a day, but the government’s chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, insisted this was “not an acceleration”. He added that though the number “may go up a little bit”, it could begin to stabilise and fall in two or three weeks time.
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London may be “two or four weeks away” from its peak of coronavirus cases, according to the city’s mayor. Sadiq Khan said his estimate was “not an exact science” but referred to when the largest number of people would have the virus, and when the highest number of deaths would be recorded.
- BrightHouse and Carluccio’s have entered administration. The two UK companies said they had suffered a slump in customers since non-essential shops were shut as part of the lockdown. More than 4,000 jobs are at risk.
- The Prince of Wales has come out of self-isolation. Clarence House confirmed that Charles, 71, had consulted with his doctor after testing positive for coronavirus last week.
- Dominic Cummings, the prime minister’s chief adviser, is self-isolating with symptoms in line with those of the virus. The news comes after Boris Johnson and the health secretary, Matt Hancock, were confirmed as positive cases last week.
Updated
Sadiq Khan has said London may be “two to four week away from the peak” of coronavirus cases.
The peak refers to when the largest number of people will have the virus and when the highest number of deaths will be recorded, according to Khan.
LBC’s Ian Payne asked the London mayor when experts think the peak of the pandemic will be for the capital, which is said to be two weeks ahead of the rest of the country.
Khan said: “It’s not an exact science I’m afraid so when I ask the clinicians, the scientists, the medics, they explain to me, normal modelling you do doesn’t work cause each country is different and the pace of this virus is faster than we would expect.”
“Also what complicates matters is the behavioural change we’re now got in place for the last week or so, we don’t see the benefits for about two weeks.”
Updated
Doctors who among the UK nationals stranded abroad have said they are desperate to return to help their NHS colleagues battle the coronavirus pandemic, but have received little help from the Foreign Office.
Global travel restrictions have left an estimated 1 million British people marooned, with many complaining that their host countries had organised rescue flights for their citizens while the UK had not.
The outcry came ahead of the government’s daily coronavirus update in which foreign secretary Dominic Raab announced a £75m initiative to rescue tens of thousands of British nationals stranded abroad.
A 56-year-old Dorset police officer has died after displaying the symptoms of Covid-19.
The force’s chief constable, James Vaughan, said: “I can confirm one of our serving officers sadly died at his home in Bournemouth just before 10am today, Monday 30 March 2020.
“He was 56years old and had been unwell since Christmas with a chest infection. He had been off sick since Thursday 19 March and went into self-isolation following Covid-19 guidance from the NHS after displaying symptoms.
“It is not yet confirmed if the death is Covid-19-related and I would strongly emphasise that it is too early to speculate on the circumstances surrounding his death.
“We are all deeply saddened by the death. This is a huge loss to the police family and my thoughts and prayers are with the officer’s family, friends and close friends, many of whom are Dorset police colleagues. I have relayed to them my deepest condolences.
“I would ask you to please respect their privacy at this very sad time.”
Updated
The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 among inmates at prisons more than doubled in three days, according to a daily update from the Ministry of Justice.
As of 5.40pm on Sunday, there were 55 prisoners who have tested positive for COVID-19 across 21 prisons, compared to 27 confirmed cases in 14 prisons as at 1pm on Thursday.
There are around 83,000 prisoners in England and Wales across 117 prisons.
The number of prison staff who have tested positive rose from five to 13 in the same period, while the number of infected prisoner escort and custody services (Pecs) staff remained at four.
The first death of a prisoner from Covid-19 was confirmed on Thursday; an 84-year-old sex offender died in hospital and had underlying health conditions.
However, the daily update released by the MoJ did not include confirmation of the number of serving prisoners who have died.Prisons are continuing to run under an “exceptional delivery model”, which includes no visits to any jails in England and Wales.
The justice secretary, Robert Buckland, is understood to be considering the release of pregnant prisoners as a potential option to alleviate the impact of the crisis in the prisons.
However, the government is not thought to be considering a larger scale release of low risk prisoners.
Here’s a summary of the government’s coronavirus daily update:
Dominic Raab announced a £75m airlift initiative to rescue tens of thousands of British nationals stranded abroad because of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
Charter flights will help to repatriate Britons from “priority countries”, while UK travellers in countries where commercial flights were still running will be provided with subsidies for tickets.
The intervention from the Foreign Office comes after it faced weeks of criticism that it was not doing enough to get citizens back home. The government will be partnering with British Airways, Easyjet, Jet2 and Titan airlines to mount the charter operation.
Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser gave an update on the state of infections and deaths from the virus in the UK. He said there had been a “dramatic reduction” in social contact since lockdown measures were put in place, which he predicted would have “a significant effect” on the number of cases of Covid-19 in the country.
He added that the number of people admitted to hospital with the virus was expected to continue to increase over the next few weeks, before the UK begins to experience a period of stagnation, and then a possible reduction of cases.
However, he added that it was “premature” to predict a date when the government could begin to ease measures to tackle the virus.
Professor Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England, said an evaluation of the validity of home testing kits to determine whether a person had or had previously contracted coronavirus was under way.
Updated
Addressing criticisms that some UK police forces have been heavy-handed in their approach to enforce new lockdown rules, Dominic Raab said he supported what they were “trying to achieve”.
“Obviously we need some common sense in the way that is approached,” he added.
“The number one message which the police are rightly trying to convey in my view is that people need to follow the guidance ,not just to the letter but also to the spirit.”
The foreign secretary also said that he was “feeling terrific” after three of his fellow Cabinet members were forced to self-isolate, including the prime minister.
He added that Boris Johnson had been “full of vigour” at the daily coronavirus government meeting on Monday.
Updated
The main points made by Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, are:
- There has been a dramatic reduction in social contact and “that is predicted to have a significant effect” on the number of infections”.
- The absolute priority is getting the number of severe cases needing hospital treatment below the level of intensive care capacity, so it is “premature” to be talking about how long the lockdown continues.
- The rate of hospitaladmissions is going up but the increase is not a rapid acceleration and therefore it might be an early sign that social distancing is working.
- The UK is tracking along the same lines as France at the moment.
Updated
The government has announced a £75m airlift initiative to rescue tens of thousands of British nationals stranded abroad because of the coronavirus.
The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, announced a mixture of charter flights to special “priority countries” and subsidies for tickets on commercial flights where they are still running.
In an extraordinary intervention that comes after weeks of criticism that the Foreign Office was not doing enough to get British citizens back home, Raab announced the government was working with “BA, Virgin, Easyjet, Jet2 and Titan” airlines to mount the charter operation.
“Under the arrangements we are putting in place, we will target flights from a range of priority countries starting this week,” said Raab.
He told Britons who were in countries where commercial flights were still operating not to wait to book flights. He also said airlines will be responsible for alternative bookings “at little or no extra cost”.
He added: “Where commercial routes remain an option, airlines will be responsible for getting passengers home. That means offering alternative flights at little to no cost where routes have been cancelled.
“That means allowing passengers to change tickets including between carriers. So for those still in those countries where commercial flights are still available, don’t wait, don’t run the risk of getting stranded. The airlines are standing by to help you. Please book your tickets as soon as possible.
“Where commercial flights are no longer running the government will provide financial support for special charter flights to bring UK nationals back at home.”
Updated
Vallance adds that at the moment, the UK is seeing around 1,000 new cases of Covid-19 a day. “That’s not an acceleration,” he insists.
He expects the pattern to continue over the next two to three weeks, with the number likely to being to decrease after.
The UK’s chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, has reiterated that the coronavirus pandemic will deepen over the next two to three weeks.
After that point, he expects cases to begin to stagnate before the UK experiences a decrease. At the moment, data does not suggest that the UK is experiencing an acceleration of cases.
He added that “we’re tracking roughly along the same path as France” in terms of deaths of patients who have contracted the virus.
However, Vallance said that it was “premature to put an absolute time on how long this goes on for”.
Updated
Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, has announced a partnership between the government and airlines to repatriate Britons stranded abroad.
Tens of thousands of people will be flown home by airlines including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Titan Airways on chartered planes.
In countries where people were still able to board commercial flights, Raab urged them not to wait as they would be able to switch carriers at no extra cost.
Dominic Raab: "hundreds of thousand of people travelling round the world" stranded. I have spoken to more than 20 foreign ministers around the world to get people home
— lisa o'carroll (@lisaocarroll) March 30, 2020
Raab: Through work with other governments to keep commercial flights going we've helped get
— lisa o'carroll (@lisaocarroll) March 30, 2020
- 150,000 home from Spain,
- 8, 500 from Morocco
- 5,000 from Cyprus
Break: UK government to mount £75m airlift operation with charter flights through BA, Virgin, Jet2 and subsidised commercial flights. Dominic Raab tells British nationals not to wait an they can switch carriers at no extra cost
— lisa o'carroll (@lisaocarroll) March 30, 2020
Dominic Raab gives daily coronavirus briefing
The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, has begun the government’s daily coronavirus press conference.
Updated
The government has conceded it will not be able to repatriate thousands of Britons stranded in New Zealand for some time after a telephone call between Dominic Raab and the country’s foreign minister, Winston Peters.
British Nationals in New Zealand - see below to hear the latest update on the New Zealand COVID-19 situation from British High Commissioner @LauraClarkeUK ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/H9Ff3bqKTN
— UK in New Zealand (@UKinNZ) March 29, 2020
The British high commissioner, Laura Clarke, told Britons trying to get out of the country that there would be no immediate fixes because the country’s lockdown and the closure of international flights made it nearly impossible.
In a video statement, she said there were up to 9,000 people now registered with the embassy for repatriation purposes and they were working wtih airlines including Singapore, Emirates, Qatar, Malaysian Airlines and Cathay Pacific to get people out when it would be possible.
She added:
The New Zealand government level-four Covid guidance is now absolutely clear in limiting domestic flights and transport to essential works only. That means if you are not close to your departure airport you are going to struggle to get on an international flight home.
“The New Zealand government has also put a pause on all repatriation or charter flights until at least 31 March.
We know this makes things really difficult and we are working hard to find a way through.
We are working closely with the New Zealand authorities to find out how people are going to be able to get to airports in a way that is compliant with New Zealand’s Covid guidance.
That is one of the things that our foreign secretary. Dominic Raab. discussed with New Zealand’s foreign minister Winston Peters this morning.
I should be clear though that there aren’t going to be immediate fixes to that. It will take at least until the end of March and possibly longer.
I know that is not the news that you want to hear but I think it’s really important to be frank.
Updated
Two of the most controversial planks of the so-called hostile environment policy have been amended to ensure they can still be carried out during the coronavirus outbreak, the Home Office has said.
The changes relate to right-to-rent and right-to-work checks - legal obligations placed on landlords and employers respectively to carry out immigration checks on prospective tenants and employees.
The right to rent and right to work checks were among some of the policy tools wrongly applied to members of the Windrush generation, ultimately leading to homelessness and unemployment in many cases.
Effective immediately, temporary changes will mean the Home Office will not require landlords and employers to see original documents and will allow checks to be undertaken over video calls.
These temporary changes will mean that during the coronavirus outbreak prospective renters and workers will now be able to submit scanned documents, rather than originals, to show they have a right to rent or right to work.
Migrants rights campaigners have long called for the checks to be scrapped and in the case of right to rent checks, the government is challenging a high court ruling that they are unlawful and incompatible with human rights legislation.
But the Home Office said the checks continued to be necessary and it was an offence to knowingly employ or let property to anyone who does not have legal immigration status in the UK.
The home secretary, Priti Patel, said: “I have introduced these temporary changes to help employers and landlords conduct checks more easily as people follow advice to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives, during the coronavirus outbreak.”
Updated
The Home Office is reducing EU settled status support because of the coronavirus pandemic, Channel 4 reporter Georg von Harrach has pointed out.
The telephone helpline for applicants is suspended and ID documents can no longer be sent by post, while some offices to help people with applications have closed, he reports.
Home Office is scaling back EU 'Settled Status' support as #coronavirus is stretching resources. Telephone helpline is suspended, ID documents can no longer be sent by post and some offices round the country to help vulnerable people with applications have closed. #brexit pic.twitter.com/LdCqafYRkj
— Georg von Harrach (@georgvh) March 30, 2020
If you’ve managed to get on one of the UK government’s repatriation flights we’d like to hear about your experience.
You can get in touch by contributing to our form or via WhatsApp by clicking here or adding the contact +44(0)7867825056.
UK coronavirus death toll rises to 1,408
The Department of Health and Social Care has just published today’s Covid-19 testing figures.
A total of 134,946 people have been tested for the virus, with 22,141 positive cases in the UK.
As of 5pm on Sunday, 1,408 people across the country had died.
UPDATE on coronavirus (#COVID19) testing in the UK:
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) March 30, 2020
As of 9am 30 March, a total of 134,946 have been tested:
112,805 negative.
22,141 positive.
As of 5pm on 29 March, of those hospitalised in the UK, 1,408 have sadly died. pic.twitter.com/QGAzbVGn8w
Updated
The public inquiry into the Manchester Arena bombing has been postponed because of coronavirus.
The inquiry, which will examine the deaths of the 22 people killed in a terror attack at an Ariane Grande concert in May 2017, was supposed to begin on 15 June. The chairman of the inquiry, Sir John Saunders, has decided to postpone it until the provisional date of 7 September after conversations with families of the dead and other core participants.
In a written ruling, Saunders said:
While nothing appears to be certain about the progress of the virus, it is likely that gatherings of large numbers of people in close proximity will not be permitted by June 2020 as it would cause a significant risk to health. The only way that the hearings could be conducted then would be by video link. There is considerable opposition to that approach as it would limit the active participation in particular of the bereaved families, who wish to have the ability to attend in person if they wish to do so.
A number of the bereaved families also raise the importance of the commemorations taking place at the beginning of the inquiry’s evidence hearings through the giving of pen portrait evidence. The bereaved families have a strong preference for their pen portrait evidence being given directly to those who wish to attend the hearing. There is considerable and understandable concern that it will be harder to conduct that aspect of the inquiry should the hearings only be held by video-link.
Saunders did not rule out using video-links for part of the inquiry “because the future is so uncertain”.
Updated
The Belgian luxury chocolatier Pierre Marcolini is donating chocolates, pastries, macarons and even Easter eggs to public health workers on the front-line in London.
The treats destined for its now closed boutiques are being offered free to hospital staff, while its production line is still manufacturing chocolate for sale online.
The company said in a statement: “Offering chocolates does not seem essential, but it’s an undeniable comfort. This is all the more important in this difficult period for everyone, but especially for the extraordinary hospital staff who are experiencing probably one of the most difficult times of our lives. The Pierre Marcolini House wishes to support the national effort, the caregivers who are mobilised everyday to fight against the Covid-19 epidemic during the coming weeks.”
Updated
Scotland’s human rights commission has warned that civil liberties are at risk if new emergency powers to control people’s movements and detain people are not properly monitored and supervised.
It said the UK’s central and devolved governments authorised the new powers with very limited scrutiny, and said it had specific concerns about impacts on the rights of people with mental illnesses.
Along with the Commons and Northern Ireland executive, the Scottish parliament has rubber-stamped changes to mental health laws, which have “significant implications for the safeguarding of the human rights of people with mental disorder” the commission said.
Professionals had greater power, with lower levels of scrutiny and “the potential for significantly increased periods of detention and restriction of autonomy”, the commission said. Those risked breaching five parts of the European convention on human rights, including freedom from degrading treatment, right to liberty and right to a fair trial.
The restrictions on movement and gathering interfere with other convention rights, including freedom of assembly and the right to a private and family life. The commission said while those restrictions were currently justified, they had to be used very carefully and closely monitored.
There had to be continuing oversight and consistent and justified use of the powers. “Police officers should be clearly briefed on the limits of their legal powers, and the distinction between law and public health guidance,” it said.
The commission said it understood why the coronavirus crisis needed tough measures to protect public health but in an 11-page briefing for Holyrood’s 129 MSPs said the emergency powers had to be “necessary, proportionate and time limited.
“This means they must go no further than is strictly necessary and should be linked to scientific and public health evidence. It must be recognised that measures could disproportionately impact certain groups and every effort must be made to address this.”
Updated
Funeral directors have accused the government of downgrading guidelines for handling the bodies of coronavirus victims and suspect that official advice has changed because of a lack of protective equipment.
The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) said rules for handling Covid-19 deceased from Public Health England have been changed without explanation so that personal protective equipment [PPE] and body bags are no longer required under certain circumstances.
The concerns of funeral directors echo allegations from doctors, nurses and ambulance workers that clinical advice is being dictated by a supply shortage, leaving thousands of workers at risk.
Until 13 March, the PHE’s advice said those handling a body of a suspected coronavirus victim should wear full personal protective equipment and use a body bag because “the act of moving a recently deceased patient onto a hospital trolley for transportation to the mortuary might be sufficient to expel small amounts of air from the lungs”.
Surfaces and trolleys should be decontaminated, mortuary attendants should also wear PPE, and embalming of the body of a coronavirus victim was “not recommended”.
Since 13 March, the advice has been changed to say that body bags are not required for Covid-19 victims and PPE is recommended, not required, in certain circumstances. “Where the deceased was known or suspected to have been infected with Covid-19, there is no requirement for a body bag, and viewing, hygienic preparations, postmortem and embalming are all permitted,” the new advice says.
The SAIF chief executive, Terry Tennens, said: “The shortage of PPE means funeral directors are being placed at great risk. We’re worried that the death care system won’t be able to cope if lots of funeral directors have to self-isolate - or worse lose their lives - due to coronavirus.
“Many in the funeral profession are now speculating that advice around PPE for funeral professionals was deliberately downgraded because the authorities knew that they wouldn’t be able to meet the demand for equipment. If true, this would be a huge scandal.”
Last week the Deceased Management Advisory Group, of which SAIF is a member, wrote to the chief Executive of Public Health England, Duncan Selbie, calling on the government agency to provide clear guidance about PPE for funeral directors.
PHE has been approached for a comment.
Updated
Updated
More than 9,000 people who have tested positive for Covid-19 are currently being treated in hospitals across England, NHS England’s chief executive Sir Simon Stevens has said.
During a visit to the new NHS Nightingale Hospital in east London, Stevens said the number of patients was expected to increase, but services set up to provide additional capacity would be available later this week.
Speaking to the BBC, he said:
Today there are over 9,000 positive coronavirus patients in hospitals across England and we know that number is only going to increase.
That’s why what you see here is a mass mobilisation, taking place right across the country, but also at these new Nightingale hospitals.
This has been an extraordinary team effort on the part of nurses and doctors and therapists and pharmacists across London, but also volunteers and paramedics and people returning to help.
And when these services are needed, they will be available beginning later this week, and because this is a global health emergency we’re actually seeing similar types of hospitals being established in Berlin and Madrid and New York.”
Stevens added that NHS England would be able to double the number of coronavirus tests it has available for staff by the end of the week.
Updated
Eton is offering free self-study courses to teenagers on lockdown during the UK’s coronavirus pandemic.
The private boarding school said its headmaster, Simon Henderson, has written to the heads of state secondary schools offering access to its online learning platform, EtonX.
Eton College, which counts prime minister Boris Johnson among its former pupils, is also offering free accommodation to essential workers whose families are self-isolating during the outbreak.
Today our Head Master has written to the Head of every state secondary school in the UK offering use of our https://t.co/6OqqDmkZoV online self-study courses, free of charge. Schools should email etonxoffer@etoncollege.org.uk and we'll be in touch with further details #COVID19
— Eton College (@Eton_College) March 27, 2020
Our science correspondent Hannah Devlin has created this video with the help of our multimedia team to explain who is most at risk of catching Covid-19, why men are more likely to die from the disease, and the reasons health workers could be particularly vulnerable.
Updated
Death toll from Covid-19 in England rises to 1,284
The number of people who have died in England after contracting coronavirus now stands at 1,284 – a rise of 159 from yesterday – NHS England has said.
The patients were aged between 32 and 98 years old and all but four, aged between 56 and 87 years old, had underlying health conditions, according to the PA Media news agency.
One person has died in Northern Ireland, 14 people have died in Wales and six people have died in Scotland over the last 24 hours.
Updated
Locked-down musicians everywhere, the aspirational ones as well as virtuosos, are being invited to join the Jess Gillam virtual scratch orchestra.
Gillam, the Classic Brit award-winning saxophonist, on Monday launched a project in which she invites musicians of any standard to come together and play music with her virtually.
It will culminate with an online performance of David Bowie’s Where Are We Now? on 17 April.
Gillam said: “For me, music is about people. People uniting, people sharing and people listening. At a very difficult time, when it is currently not possible to be physically together to share and make music, hopefully this is a way in which we can create something together from afar.
“‘Where Are We Now?’ is one of my favourite songs by David Bowie. It’s hauntingly beautiful and seems very appropriate as we all reflect on the world and what is happening around us.”
The parts available include violin 1 & 2, cello, piano, harp, oboe, timpani and more and the music can be downloaded from Gillam’s website. She is asking people to video themselves and send it to her before 10 April.
Updated
Rules on abortions during the Covid-19 pandemic have been loosened for the second time in just over a week.
In a U-turn decision, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said women needing an abortion up to 10 weeks could use abortion pills at home after a consultation with a medical practitioner over the phone or via the internet.
Last Monday, the department said it would allow women and girls to take the pills at home, and doctors to prescribe them remotely.
But hours later, it removed the statement from its website, with officials saying it had been “published in error”.
The health secretary, Matt Hancock, who is currently self-isolating after testing positive for the virus, then told MPs that abortion rules would not be changed as part of the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak.
After the latest decision, the DHSC said Hancock had also approved measures to allow doctors to prescribe the medicines Mifepristone and Misoprostol from their homes.
A spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said:
We welcome today’s decision to allow women seeking an early medical abortion to remain at home, have their consultation performed remotely and be sent a treatment package through the post.
Giving women the option of taking both abortion pills at home following a video consultation is safe and effective and has rightly been judged as a vital and necessary step if we are to limit the spread of Covid-19.
Updated
Paramedics’ lack of access to protective gear during the coronavirus pandemic may lead to a staffing crisis, a union has warned.
GMB said its ambulance members had reported that they were not being given personal protective equipment (PPE), even when being sent to treat patients suspected of having Covid-19.
It added that when paramedics were able to access protective equipment, it was often out-of-date masks with stickers over the expiry dates.
The union’s national officer, Rachel Harrison, said:
The lack of protective equipment for our frontline workers is nothing short of a national crisis and it’s going to bring services to the brink.
“Some will have the virus after working without proper protective gear, others might just have a cold and could be at work but without testing there is no way to know - it’s creating a capacity issue and putting more people at risk.”
Research from GMB also suggested that 4,100 ambulance workers have already self-isolated across eight NHS trusts.
This is Amy Walker, back from lunch. To follow or message me on Twitter, my handle is @amyrwalker.
An acute shortage of protective equipment for healthcare workers dealing with the Covid-19 outbreak in Northern Ireland has been revealed in a leaked document that shows suppliers are warning some gear cannot be delivered until the summer, Harry Davies reports.
Internal stock checks issued on Wednesday by the region’s health service listed item after item of personal protective equipment (PPE) as “out of stock”, including respirator masks, eye protection and basic hygiene products.
Of the 33 Covid-19 “affected products” listed on the leaked Northern Ireland document, 32 items were marked “out of stock”, with one kind of protective clothing marked “critically low in stock”. The documents suggest officials have released alternative products in response to the shortages from emergency stockpiles.
The leak comes as authorities in both Wales and Scotland also scramble to release PPE from emergency stockpiles and announced measures to distribute supplies to frontline NHS and social care staff.
Updated
Northern Ireland records one new Covid-19 death
Northern Ireland has recorded one more death from Covid-19, the PA Media news agency reports.
It brings the total death toll in the province to 22.
Updated
BrightHouse and Carluccio’s enter administration
Two UK companies have just fallen into administration, as the Covid-19 crisis continues to damage the British economy.
Brighthouse, the rent-to-own electricals giant, and restaurant chain Carluccio’s have both entered administration, putting more than 4,000 jobs at risk.
Both suffered a slump in customer numbers since the government instructed people to stay at home, and prdered non-essential shops to shut.
Carluccio’s, which has 73 branches and about 2,000 employees, has been on the brink of administration for days - a restaurant group can’t operate for long with no customers. It had already been forced to shut 30 loss-making sites in 2018.
Our business blog has the latest.
Updated
The Welsh first minister has said a Covid-19 “hot spot” in Gwent, south-east Wales, could be the result of a staff member contracting the virus early on – and also because it is moving east to west across the UK, reports Steven Morris.
There have been 514 confirmed cases in the area covered by the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, accounting for almost half of all Welsh cases.
Mark Drakeford said:
There are hotspots in all parts of the United Kingdom. We do have a hotspot in Gwent. Explaining it isn’t straightforward and there is some degree of randomness.
Part of the reason we think there may be an issue in Gwent is that it had a very early case of a member of health board staff acquiring the virus and therefore testing in Gwent was carried out more vigorously and widely and earlier than other parts of Wales. We may partly be picking up the result of that. It looks like there are more there because we have tested more people there than elsewhere.
There is evidence that the disease is moving east to west across the UK. Newport is right at the eastern end of Wales. You would expect if that is the case that the biggest impact of coronavirus would be felt first of all in the Aneurin health board because it is closest to our border.
Drakeford said population density could also be an issue.
The more people there are in an area the faster the disease circulates as we have seen in London.
He concluded:
Those factors altogether may be part of the explanation why we have the position in Gwent but chance is playing its part as well.
Updated
Lancs police fine Covid-19 rule-breakers 123 times
Police in Lancashire have issued 123 fixed penalty notices to people breaking the government’s new rules restricting freedom of movement during the coronavirus pandemic, Helen Pidd, the Guardian’s north of England editor, reports.
The new Health Protection Regulations 2020 give police the power to fine people who have left their home “without a reasonable excuse” (eg to pick up essential groceries or prescriptions or doing daily exercise) or who take part in public gatherings of more than two people. It also restricts which shops and businesses are allowed to remain open.
In a statement on its Facebook site, Lancashire police said:
Thank you to the vast majority of people across Lancashire who have been sticking to the government advice to stay at home and only travel when essential. We have been patrolling areas across the county and where we have seen people breaking the rules, we have issued fines. Over the weekend, we have issued 123 fixed penalty notices as a result.
Our contact management department has received a number of Covid-19 related calls, with the majority related to concerns from members of the public about house parties taking place, public gatherings and if it is appropriate for a business to be open. We continue to urge everyone to #StayHomeSaveLives.
Rather than take people to court, police can levy an on-the-spot fine of £60, which is reduced to £30 if paid before the end of 14 days. If a second fixed penalty is received this will be £120 and for a third and subsequent notice, double the amount of the previous notice, up to a maximum of £960.
Updated
Andrew Neil, the BBC news presenter, chairman of the Spectator and former editor of the Sunday Times, has staged a U-turn on his stance around the official German death toll from the coronavirus.
He had previously suggested that the reason the German toll from the virus was so much lower was that medical authorities there collected their statistics in a different way to those in the UK - comparing apples with oranges, so to speak.
In a Twitter thread he explains why he has changed his mind and now believes that holding the two national figures side by side is indeed “comparing apples with apples”.
I have investigated further how Germany records Covid-19 deaths and concluded its methodology does NOT explain lower level of German Covid-19 fatalities. In previous tweets I suggested international comparisons eg with UK, might not be comparing apples with apples. But we are.
— Andrew Neil (@afneil) March 29, 2020
Updated
Almost half of people think the government failed to act fast enough to tackle the coronavirus outbreak in the country, and a third do not trust the prime minister to manage the crisis, polling suggests.
The poll commissioned by the antiracism charity Hope Not Hate, which has not been widely reported, also found that more than half of people believe the global coronavirus pandemic is China’s fault.
Hope Not Hate believe its findings show a crisis of confidence in official handling of the Covid-19 outbreak, said the group’s head of policy, Rosie Carter. She told the Guardian on Friday:
It’s worrying seeing the crisis of public confidence now in how the government is handling the crisis.
A third of people don’t trust the prime minister and the government to deal with the crisis. That’s quite a concern for us and shows the potential for a populist right threat as the economic impact hits.
This changes the political landscape for us. It’s not just a medical emergency, but it’s also going to have a huge economic and political consequences, not only over the next few months but over the next few years.
Among the other findings of the poll, based on online interviews with around 2,000 people from across the country.
- Two-thirds of people (65%) think it is important to seek alternative opinions about coronavirus and not just rely on what we get told through the mainstream media.
- In a blow to official efforts to counter fake news, close to half (42%) felt they would prefer to find the truth out about Coronavirus themselves rather than relying on the government and their experts.
- A fifth (19%) of people believed that the coronavirus is not as serious as media and government makes it out to be - rising to almost a third of those aged 18-24.
This is Damien Gayle taking over the blog for a little while, while Amy has a break and a bite to eat.
Updated
During the virtual lobby briefing attended by our deputy political editor, Rowena Mason, the government also continued to rule out any extension of the Brexit transition period.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “The transition period ends on December 31, 2020. That is enshrined in UK law.”
Updated
A temporary emergency hospital could open at the Scottish exhibition centre in Glasgow to cope with a surge in critical coronavirus cases in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.
The first minister said the so-called Nightingale hospital would be on standby, with a first tranche of 300 beds being installed and a potential total capacity of an extra 1,000 beds if needed.
It could be become operational in a fortnight, she said, but they hoped it would not be necessary. “Our focus very much is on ensuring we’re maximising general capacity and critical care capacity within the existing hospital network,” she said.
She added that there had been six further deaths overnight, taking Scotland’s total to 47, with 1,563 positive cases detected overall, up by 179 since yesterday, and 108 people in intensive care.
Jeane Freeman, the Scottish health secretary, said they had chosen the exhibition centre because of its proximity to the west of Scotland’s other hospitals, its transport links and security needs. She thanked the army for helping the government and NHS set it up.
Speaking at her daily coronavirus briefing, Sturgeon said they hoped the NHS would be able to cope with a surge in cases in existing hospitals, by setting aside 3,000 beds for coronavirus cases, and was working to quadruple intensive care beds to 700 places.
Sturgeon said that to help free up staff and capacity, NHS Scotland had temporarily paused routine screening for bowel cancer, cervical cancer and breast cancer for up to 12 weeks.
Catherine Calderwood, Scotland’s chief medical officer, said they were also temporarily pausing screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm and diabetic eye screening. Pregnancy and newborn baby screening would continue as before.
They could restart earlier if feasible. “It’s an important way of allowing the NHS to deal effectively with the impact of covid-19,” Sturgeon said.
Calderwood added that the virus outbreak could peak in Scotland in late April but the restrictions on daily life would continue for at least 13 weeks. She was “expecting a peak in the virus in two to three weeks, so I would be pessimistic that there would be any change to those stringent measures.”
Sturgeon said that in the four hours since the Scottish government had launched its new “Scotland cares” volunteering programme on Monday morning, 10,000 people had registered their interest in taking part.
Updated
The Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford, has given some details of a £1.1bn “fighting fund” to help tackle the Covid-19 crisis.
He told a press conference in Cardiff £500m of this was an “economic resilience fund” to help businesses, charities and social enterprises who are going into hibernation or have cashflow problems.
Drakeford said the money had come from all areas of government but one specific cut he highlighted was to funding for post-Brexit trade missions. He also said EU funding intended to be spent on projects in Wales would be channelled into the new pot.
Drakeford said: “The pace at which the coronavirus pandemic is affecting our economy is extraordinary. Now, more than ever, government needs to do all it can to support the economy and business.”
The £500m fund is made up of two main elements:
- A new £100m Development Bank of Wales fund will be available for companies experiencing cash flow problems and will provide loans of between £5,000 and £250,000 at favourable interest rates.
- Businesses will also be able to benefit from a £400m emergency pot providing:
Grants of £10,000 for micro-businesses employing up to nine people.
Grants of up to £100,000 for small and medium sized firms with between 10 and 249 employees.
The new fund builds on the £1.4bn business support package announced by the Welsh government on March 18, which provides a year-long rate relief holiday for all but the largest premises in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors and grant-support for more than 70,000 small businesses.
Updated
Germany has come to the rescue of British holidaymakers stranded in Bali.
The British embassy in the Indonesian island revealed today that it had been offered 40 seats on a special flight organised by Germany.
“Our German friends have opened 40 places on a flight for European Union & United Kingdom citizens leaving Jakarta on Friday 3 April at 17.25, arriving in Frankfurt on Sat 4 April at 05.35,” it said in a tweet.
Germany comes to the rescue of Brits in Bali https://t.co/PRIimupJKx
— lisa o'carroll (@lisaocarroll) March 30, 2020
Those who take up the offer will not need to find the cash immediately but can pay after the trip has been completed, the embassy added.
While the offer will barely dent the scale of the repatriation needs in Bali, where there are 4,000 Britons stranded, the gesture underlines the pro-active approach the Germans are taking.
According to the German embassy in London, 17,000 people have been flown back on more than 70 charter flights organised by the German foreign office to 21 countries including New Zealand, India, Argentina and Tunisia where Britons are stranded. This week it is planning charter flights for 25 more countries.
The UK Foreign Office has been heavily criticised by British nationals marooned abroad. Today two more flights from Peru will take off from Lima with the last of the 1,000 British nationals stranded expected to be on board.
Updated
Consumers are being warned to be extra wary of texts and emails that are arriving in inboxes and on mobile handsets at the moment, as scammers try to exploit the pandemic to catch out the unwary.
The body behind Britain’s banks said this morning that there has been a big rise in “smishing” text message scams that claim to be from government departments, banks or other trusted organisations.
They typically offer payments related to the coronavirus outbreak or claim to be from bodies issuing fines.
UK Finance said that the messages will include a link to a fake website that is designed to trick people into giving away their financial and personal information such as bank details, passwords and credit card numbers.
The advice is to never click on such links, but to log into your account from a new browser.
Criminals are also using a technique called “spoofing”, which can make a message appear in a chain of texts alongside previous genuine messages from that organisation.
UK Finance, said:
Criminals are callously exploiting the coronavirus outbreak to commit fraud, including using scam text messages imitating government departments, banks and other trusted organisations.
We are urging consumers to remain vigilant and avoid clicking on links in any unsolicited text messages in case it’s a scam.
It’s always safer to log into your bank account directly or contact the organisation on a trusted number or email such as the one on their official website.
Councils are warning people to beware scammers pretending to be health officials or offering to pick up food and medicines. The LGA has advised people not to accept help from cold-callers.
Updated
Our deputy political editor, Rowena Mason, has sent over these notes from a lobby briefing this afternoon:
- Ex-civilservants with emergency planning experience have been drafted in to No 10 to help with the coronavirus response, as staff including Dominic Cummings enter isolation.
- Current death statistics are from hospitals only, and from tomorrow the ONS will begin collating whole-UK figures including deaths in the community on a weekly basis.
- Michael Gove was talking about capacity not actual tests when he said the UK had hit its target of testing 10,000 people a day. He was relying on information given to him by Public Health England.
- A total of 900 NHS staff were tested for Covid-19 over the weekend.
- Downing Street is backing police to “exercise their own discretion” in overseeing lockdown - despite cases of heavy-handed reaction.
- No comment on reports from newspapers over the weekend that the prime minister thinks China should face a “reckoning”. No 10 only said that “China is an important partner to the UK”.
- An announcement on the repatriation of Britons stuck abroad by charter flights is coming this afternoon.
- Cabinet will take place tomorrow morning entirely by video conference.
Updated
Prince Charles comes out of self-isolation
Prince Charles, who announced last week that he had tested positive for Covid-19, is now out of self-isolation.
His spokesperson said: “Clarence House has confirmed today that, having consulted with his doctor, the Prince of Wales is now out of self-isolation.”
Charles, 71, who is at Birkhall, his Scottish residence near Balmoral, first reported mild symptoms last weekend, and was tested under NHS criteria in Aberdeenshire, last Monday.
It is understood he is in good health, and said to be operating under the current standard government and medical restrictions that apply nationwide.
His self-isolation lasted seven days, in accordance with government and medical guidelines.
He will continue to hold meetings via phone and video conferencing, and will be able to take exercise while adhering to the medical and government guidelines.
The Duchess of Cornwall, 72, who last week tested negative for the virus, has been self-isolating at Birkhall, but apart from Charles.
She will be carrying out 14 days self-isolation. It is expected this will last until the end of the week.
Updated
Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has announced that the SEC Centre in Glasgow will be turned into a temporary hospital to treat Covid-19 patients.
The field hospital will provide NHS Scotland with a further 300 beds, although it could ultimately be expanded to accommodate more than 1,000 patients.
She also announced that the service would suspend breast, cervical and bowel screening to help it cope with the outbreak.
The suspension will be reviewed within the next 12 weeks.
As of Monday, 1,563 people in Scotland have tested positive with coronavirus, up by 179 from yesterday.
Both Sturgeon and Scottish chief medical officer Dr Catherine Calderwood, emphasised that the figure was likely to be an underestimate.
There has also been a further six deaths, taking the total to 47 in Scotland.
There are currently 13,000 beds in NHS hospitals across Scotland, with at least 3,000 being made available for patients infected with the virus.
Updated
A Scottish children’s charity had a 1,100% increase in applications to its emergency cash fund during the first week of the coronavirus lockdown.
Aberlour Child Care Trust said many of the families were struggling to buy essentials and pay for utilities.
An urgent appeal to members of the public launched by the charity on 18 March raised more than £88,000.
On top of financial difficulties, it said it had also experienced an increase in requests related to domestic abuse.
Liz Nolan, deputy director at Aberlour Child Care Trust, said:
We’ve received applications from all over Scotland from struggling families telling us that they can’t afford to stock up on essentials, and when they go to the shops there is nothing there because of other people panic buying.
We’re also experiencing an increase in domestic abuse-related requests for support where mothers and children have been forced to flee their homes, leaving all belongings behind.
Updated
The Metropolitan police commissioner, Cressida Dick, has told officers that powers to enforce coronavirus lockdown rules should only be used as a last resort.
The head of the UK’s largest police force said their approach should be to “help educate and encourage” the public to comply with the restrictions.
Her comments came after a number of forces were criticised for their approach to the new rules. She told LBC:
We are all getting used to the new restrictions and I’ve been very clear that in the first instance I want my officers to be engaging with people, talking to people, encouraging them to comply.
“Explaining, of course, if they don’t understand - already we have had examples of people who simply hadn’t quite heard all the messages - and, only as a very last resort with the current restrictions, using firm direction or even enforcement.”
Updated
A number of UK manufacturers have received a government order to build 10,000 ventilators to help treat coronavirus patients.
The consortium, which includes Rolls-Royce, will produce the medical devices under the name Project Oyster.
It will also jointly scale up production of an existing design known as Project Penguin.
The news follows an announcement from Dyson that it had received an order from Boris Johnson to build 10,000 of its own CoVent devices.
Currently, there are just over 8,000 ventilators available to the NHS.
Updated
The trade secretary, Liz Truss, is due to speak to her G20 counterparts virtually during a trade and investment ministerial meeting today.
Downing Street said ministers would discuss the importance of “maintaining essential goods supply chains to reduce risk and disruption to global health”.
Today I will be at the #G20 Trade and Investment Ministerial Virtual Meeting discussing the importance of keeping trade flowing during this unprecedented #Covid19 outbreak. 🌍🇬🇧 #StayHomeSaveLives
— Liz Truss (@trussliz) March 30, 2020
Updated
One in four NHS doctors are off work sick or in isolation
Around one in four NHS doctors have been signed off from work sick or in isolation, the head of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has said.
Prof Andrew Goddard, president of the RCP, told the PA news agency that about 25% of doctors are off work, either because they have contracted coronavirus or because a family member or housemate is ill. He said:
At the moment, we think it’s more doctors self-isolating with family members, though there are some off sick themselves.
This is really impacting a lot in emergency departments and London is in a much worse position than elsewhere at the moment, but it will come to other places.
Birmingham is also struggling.
Goddard said that hospital wards across England are “going from normal wards to Covid wards very quickly”.
He added that intensive care units at some hospitals were “really at the limit”.
It was unclear if the 25% off work would be a “rolling number”, or whether pressure could ease as testing of NHS staff increases and isolation periods end, said Goddard.
“Of course the worry is we will lose more people to Covid-related illness,” he added.
Updated
Students living in college and university accommodation in Scotland have been told to stay where they are and not attempt to travel to their family homes.
Richard Lochhead, the country’s minister for further and higher education, said in a statement:
Whether they are living in student halls, or private rented accommodation, they should remain there and not travel unless for food, healthcare or essential work.
I’ve also asked that – in addition to this ongoing support for students remaining in accommodation – institutions look sympathetically on any need for students to extend their stay beyond existing arrangements.
I have also asked that this be extended to those who have returned to the family home and are having to ask to break agreements, and that institutions continue to be as helpful as possible to avoid disadvantaging these students.
The advice from the chief medical officer and Scottish government has been forwarded to university and college principals, as well as accommodation providers.
Updated
The European political group that unites the parties of Angela Merkel and Leo Varadkar has urged the government to do “the responsible thing” and extend the Brexit transition period, as coronavirus plays havoc with the timetable for an EU-UK deal.
The centre-right European People’s party, the largest group in the European parliament, issued a statement on Monday calling on the government to extend the Brexit transition beyond the end of the year.
Christophe Hansen, a Luxembourgish MEP who sits on the European parliament’s international trade committee, said:
Under these extraordinary circumstances, I cannot see how the UK government would choose to expose itself to the double whammy of the coronavirus and the exit from the EU single market, which will inevitably add to the disruption, deal or no deal. I can only hope that common sense and substance will prevail over ideology. An extension of the transition period is the only responsible thing to do.
David McAllister, the German MEP who leads the European parliament’s work on the future relationship with the UK, said the pandemic complicated an “already very ambitious schedule. The ball is now clearly in the British court.”
Under the withdrawal agreement, the Brexit transition period is due to expire on 31 December 2020, ending British membership of the EU single market and customs union. But it can be extended for one or two years, if both sides agree by 1 July.
The EU has made little secret it would agree to any request for extension, but the British government has continued to rule it out.
BREXIT NEWS: The first meeting of the EU-UK joint committee today, by teleconference.
— lisa o'carroll (@lisaocarroll) March 30, 2020
Michael Gove and EC Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič.
Draft agenda: EU citizens rights, NI protocol, Cyprus, Gibraltar, divorce bill pic.twitter.com/nNmPz4BhhQ
The plea for extra time comes as British and EU politicians prepare to hold their first meeting to discuss putting in place the post-Brexit Irish Sea border. The Cabinet Office minister, Michael Gove, will hold a conference call with European commission vice-president, Maroš Šefčovič, to discuss implementing the Brexit withdrawal agreement, which includes the Irish border and citizens’ rights.
The two sides will not discuss the future relationship. One negotiating round has already been cancelled because of coronavirus and doubts are high as to whether next week’s talks will go ahead. The large number of people involved in EU-UK post-Brexit talks makes video-conferencing a complicated option, although more manageable for Monday’s smaller group involved in implementing the withdrawal agreement.
Updated
A breathing aid that can help keep coronavirus patients out of intensive care units has been developed by mechanical engineers, medics and the Mercedes Formula One team.
The continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device was created in under a week and has been used in hospitals in Italy and China to help patients.
It bridges the gap between an oxygen mask and the need for full ventilation.
A team from University College London and University College London Hospital worked with Mercedes Formula One team to adapt and improve existing CPAP.
The Royal College of Nursing has said it is “unacceptable” that some staff are treating patients without personal protective equipment (PPE).
Dame Donna Kinnair, chief executive and general secretary of the body, said:
The Government is finally prioritising Covid-19 testing for NHS staff, including social care, but it is completely unacceptable that weeks into this crisis there are colleagues in all settings - hospitals, community or care homes - who have not been provided with personal protective equipment.
I am hearing from nurses who are treating patients in Covid-19 wards without any protection at all. This cannot continue. They are putting themselves, their families and their patients at risk.”
A woman in Greater Manchester has told the Guardian of the “horrendous” pain of not being able to be by her father’s side as he died in Stockport from Coronavirus.
Frank Hammond, 83, from Hazel Grove, died alone last Thursday in Stepping Hill hospital. His daughter, Trisha Conroy, has praised the nurse, Lesley Hill, who rang her when it was clear her dad was about to pass.
“We weren’t allowed to be with him, which was so hard, but when it happened, I can’t tell you how amazing Lesley was. She must have had a million other things to do but she took the time to ring us and put the phone to my dad’s ear so he could hear us telling him how much we loved him,” she told the Guardian.
“It was horrendous, heartbreaking. We were all sat on the bed in our house when we got the call, the whole family. We had been told three days earlier that they were withholding further treatment and just giving him oxygen and we had thought it would be a matter of hours, but it took three days.”
Trisha’s sister, Claire, was able to join in via speakerphone from Germany.
Trisha’s husband, Tony, said it was “the ultimate act of compassion” from the nurse, who none of the family have ever met.
“After Frank had peacefully passed I told Leslie that what she had just done would stay with us forever and that she was truly a special person, we both sobbed together and said our tearful goodbyes,” he said in a Facebook post.
Updated
NatWest has said it will match its customers’ donations to the National Emergencies Trust coronavirus appeal.
From Friday, the bank will match donations of up to £5m made by NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland reward account customers until the end of June.
Alison Rose, chief executive of NatWest Group, said:
We are continuing to support people, communities and businesses across the UK and are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our customers to support the organisations that are helping to manage the impacts of coronavirus.”
Updated
A dump truck was used in an attempt to break into a foodbank storage unit on Sunday.
The East Durham Trust said the incident in Peterlee had “significantly damaged” stock, at a time when they were experiencing “unprecedented demand”.
A 17-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of theft and later released under investigation by Durham Police.
Unfortunately today charity @EastDurhamTrust was targeted by an attempted robbery with equipment used to damage our container, fencing & #artscafe building site. This comes as our services are under unprecedented demand as we meet the support needs of our community #CoronaUpdate pic.twitter.com/mCJ6Gyo8bS
— East Durham Trust (@EastDurhamTrust) March 29, 2020
Updated
Dominic Cummings has developed symptoms of coronavirus over the weekend and is now self-isolating, a source has confirmed.
Boris Johnson’s key adviser, last seen running through Downing Street two days ago, is believed to have experienced mild symptoms including a cough.
The prime minister and the health secretary Matt Hancock are already self-isolating after developing symptoms towards the end of last week.
A Whitehall source confirmed a report by the Daily Mail’s Jason Groves that Cummings is still communicating with No 10.
Last week, Downing Street rejected as “a highly defamatory fabrication” that Cummings initially argued against strict measures to contain coronavirus in a view summarised as: “If that means some pensioners die, too bad”.
The claim, initially made in the Sunday Times, said that at one private event at the end of February, Cummings outlined the government’s strategy at the time in a way that was summarised by some present as “herd immunity, protect the economy, and if that means some pensioners die, too bad”.
Johnson tested positive on Friday for coronavirus and is self-isolating in Downing Street.
He said he had experienced mild symptoms over the past 24 hours, including a temperature and cough, but continues to lead the government.
Hancock said he had also tested positive, while England’s Chief Medical Officer, Prof Chris Whitty, has shown symptoms.
Updated
A repatriation flight carrying UK passengers has landed at Heathrow Airport from Peru, according to the Flightradar tracking website.
The British Airways flight left the capital of Lima on Sunday and the Foreign Office has said two more flights will leave the country on Monday. It is not known how many passengers were on board the first plane.
Last week, the Guardian reported that nine Britons stranded in Peru would miss rescue flights after two travellers at the hostel they were staying at tested positive for coronavirus.
Updated
In lighter news, pioneering fitness star Mr Motivator returned to the nation’s television screens this morning.
The presenter, best known for his GMTV appearances in the 1990s, is offering tips on the newly commissioned HealthCheck UK Live, on weekdays at 10am on BBC One.
cc @daytimesnaps pic.twitter.com/iXrqonKpsO
— Jim Waterson (@jimwaterson) March 30, 2020
Last week, the ‘fitness hero’ told the Guardian he did not feel threatened by the success of YouTube star Joe Wicks. “Motivator – you mention my name, and everybody knows Motivator. Walk down the road right now – well, not right now – and they know Motivator,” he said.
The number of mortgage approvals given to home buyers hit a six-year high just before the coronavirus outbreak put the brakes on the housing market.
A total of 73,546 mortgages were approved for house purchase in February.
The monthly total was the highest since January 2014, according to the Bank of England’s Money and Credit report.
Many buyers will now have to put their plans on hold as the government is urging buyers and renters not to move in an attempt to limit the spread of the illness.
Updated
Dominic Cummings self-isolating with symptoms
Dominic Cummings, the prime minister’s chief adviser, is self-isolating after developing symptoms in line with those of Covid-19 over the weekend, a Downing Street source has confirmed to the PA news agency.
They added that Cummings would remain in contact with his colleagues at No 10 during his quarantine period.
On Friday, Cummings was seen running out of Downing Street shortly after Boris Johnson announced he had tested positive for the virus.
Updated
Hundreds of British technology startups could fail during the pandemic without government intervention because they rely on regular rounds of new investment which have effectively dried up.
Daniel Korski, a former Downing Street adviser who now runs venture capital firm PUBLIC, said new businesses are particularly vulnerable as “unlike other businesses they need fresh capital injections frequently because even the best of the bunch are normally loss-making as they grow”.
He has used an article in City AM to call for the government to spend around £1bn supporting startups to reduce the economic damage after the pandemic is over, with the state-owned British Business Bank to be used to “distribute funding, support new funds and get money into the hands of startups”.
Updated
EasyJet grounds entire fleet for at least two months
EasyJet has grounded its entire fleet of aircraft for at least two months in response to the pandemic.
The budget airline said it could not confirm a date to restart commercial flights and 4,000 of its 9,000 UK staff will be furloughed initially from 1 April.
The airline industry is caught up in an unprecedented crisis, with companies laying off workers because of the loss of demand for air travel.
Updated
A man has been charged with contravening emergency coronavirus measures in a queue outside a branch of Tesco in Stalybridge, Tameside, Greater Manchester on Saturday.
Steven Mackie was charged with one count of failing to maintain public health and causing public disorder and nuisance.
He was due to appear at Tameside magistrates court later today.
Greater Manchester police said: “This is in relation to a reported incident that took place on Saturday … and saw a man unnecessarily out of his home and approaching members of the public in a queue outside a Tesco store in Stalybridge.
“Officers advised the man about his conduct but he continued to approach people contrary to social distancing rules and government guidelines on the restriction of movement during the emergency period.”
Updated
Uber has said it will provide 200,000 free trips and 100,000 meals to NHS staff working on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic.
The ride-hailing company will provide trips up to the value of £15, as well as £10 Uber Eats vouchers, to anyone with an NHS email address.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, said:
The incredible nurses, doctors and support staff of the NHS are doing heroic work at the forefront of this crisis, and everyone at Uber thanks them for their extraordinary efforts. We hope we can help in a small way with meals and transportation as they work tirelessly day and night.”
Health secretary Matt Hancock, who tested positive for the virus last week, praised the company for its effort on Twitter. He said:
Supporting our national effort to help our NHS tackle #coronavirus is crucial. Great to see Uber offering meals and trips for our brilliant NHS.”
Uber and Uber Eats drivers will continue to work throughout the pandemic. The company said employees had been provided with hand sanitiser, surface spray, and that vehicles would be cleaned regularly in line with government guidance.
Concerns have been raised over those aged 70 and above who cannot self-isolate because they live in multi-generational households.
Data drawn up by the Office for National Statistics, at the request of Tory MP Neil O’Brien, shows that 15% of elderly people in the UK live with someone of working age.
The highest rates of people over 70 living with younger family members are in London. In Newham, Brent and Lambeth, the rate is over 40%.
There's lots of multigenerational families in my area, meaning older people won't be able to self-isolate. I asked ONS to generate some ad hoc numbers on the % of those aged 70+ who live with working age people in different areas. A quick thread (1/5)https://t.co/6Sgk5cm1Bn
— Neil O'Brien MP (@NeilDotObrien) March 29, 2020
Updated
The Welsh nationalist party, Plaid Cymru, has called for medical students moving to the frontline to have part of their student debt scrapped.
The shadow health minister, Rhun ap Iorwerth, said the debt of those students should be written off as a recognition of the “invaluable contribution” they have and will continue to make to the frontline operation.
Ap Iorwerth said the public’s debt to health and care staff would be “insurmountable” and reiterated calls for frontline workers to have access to immediate testing, adequate personal protective equipment and mental health support.
Medical students, student nurses, and student care workers are being drafted in to the frontline in temporary, fully paid roles to increase capacity and ensure that our NHS will be fully equipped to deal with the scale of this crisis.
To show our gratitude and as recognition of the invaluable contribution they are making and will continue to make to the frontline operation over the course of this crisis, part of their student debt should be written off.
When this is over, our debt to health and care staff will be insurmountable. However, we can start repaying that debt now by demanding all frontline workers have access to testing, adequate personal protective equipment and mental health support.
Updated
A couple in Northern Ireland who were married for 53 years died within hours of each other after contracting coronavirus.
Christopher and Isobel Vallely, aged 79 and 77 respectively, died over the weekend at the Mater hospital in Belfast.
Christopher, who was recently diagnosed with lung cancer, was admitted to hospital and placed in isolation 10 days ago after showing symptoms. Isobel, who had a stroke last year, was admitted last Thursday and died on Saturday night, the day after their wedding anniversary.
Christopher was moved to the room she had occupied after his condition worsened. He died on Sunday 12 hours after his wife.
“They were amazing parents,” their daughter, Fiona, told the Irish News. “And they would have done anything for anybody. They were fantastic people and they did not deserve to go this way.”
Christopher Vallely (79) , who was known as Arty, and his wife Isobel (77), died within 12 hours of each in the same room at the Mater Hospital #coronavirus https://t.co/1kFwi3rCkK
— The Irish News (@irish_news) March 30, 2020
Updated
Morrisons has announced it will give away £10m worth of items to foodbanks across the country during the coronavirus pandemic.
David Potts, the supermarket’s chief executive, said its fruit and vegetable, bakery and egg departments would run for an extra hour every day to make, prepare and pack food to restock the services.
It would also be sending deliveries of food, including canned goods and pasta, to local food banks via “community champions”.
Foodbanks across the UK have been forced to close or reduce their hours due to a decline in volunteers and a shortage in donations in recent weeks.
Potts also praised the response of customers to physical distancing measures introduced at supermarkets. He said:
As a food maker and shopkeeper we are uniquely placed to help.
We know food banks are finding life very difficult and running our manufacturing sites for an extra hour each day to help restock them is the right decision at this time.
The core purpose of all 96,537 colleagues at Morrisons is to play our full part in feeding the nation.
The supermarket’s foodbank donations are planned to be distributed by July.
Updated
Police have Tasered a man who claimed to have Covid-19 and deliberately coughed on officers as they sat in a car.
The Metropolitan police firearms command said on Twitter that the suspect had approached the officers in Haringey, north London “and shouted that he had coronavirus before deliberately coughing saliva all over them”.
He also began to physically attack them before he was Tasered and arrested, the force said.
The suspect later tested positive for the virus.
A male was tasered by #SCO19 officers yesterday in the @MPSHaringey area, when he approached their vehicle and shouted that he had Coronavirus before deliberately coughing saliva all over them whilst also beginning to physically attack them. The male was arrested without injury. pic.twitter.com/kIJMMiCKhX
— MPS Firearms Command (@MPSFirearms) March 29, 2020
Updated
The government is set to cap the number of students that each university in England can take on in an effort to avoid a free-for-all on admissions as institutions are plunged into financial uncertainty amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Guardian has learned.
A government source said each university would face limits on the number of UK and EU undergraduates it could admit for the academic year in September, in a move backed by higher education leaders. It will be the first limit on numbers since the university admissions cap was lifted in 2015.
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An NHS nurse had a nice surprise when she woke up on the weekend to find her neighbours had painted her a dedicated parking space outside her house in Golborne in Wigan, Greater Manchester.
Her husband posted the following on Facebook:
“After my wife went to work at the hospital this morning, I opened the curtains and saw this on the road. She hasn’t seen it yet. Like all busy streets, she normally ends up parking away from the house as there’s no space near it when she comes home from her shifts.
“No one has a right to park in front of their own house, but what absolutely gorgeous caring neighbours who have done this for her. Such a caring touch. She was emotional when the street clapped for the NHS in the week, this will do her in! Let’s keep supporting our nurses and NHS.”
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Good morning, 20,000 former NHS staff have answered calls for them to return to the workforce, Boris Johnson has confirmed.
In a video posted to his Twitter account last night, the prime minister thanked the doctors and nurses, as well as the 750,000 members of the public who have volunteered to help the service.
Thanks to everyone who has been staying at home.
— Boris Johnson #StayHomeSaveLives (@BorisJohnson) March 29, 2020
By delaying the spread of the disease we can reduce the pressure on our NHS, and that's how we hope to save many thousands of lives.#StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/kxdqItMYSE
Meanwhile, the UK rate of infection from coronavirus may now be “just about” slowing, according to Prof Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London.
The indicators referred to by Ferguson, who has been highly influential in shaping the UK government’s strategy, did not include deaths, but he added that new hospital admissions appeared to be slowing slightly.
We will be covering all UK coronavirus developments throughout the day. You can read all the latest Guardian coronavirus articles here, you can read all the latest Guardian politics articles here, and you can follow our worldwide coverage of the coronavirus pandemic on our global live blog here.
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