That’s it from us here on the UK side. Head over to our global live blog for all the latest worldwide coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
Evening summary
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The number of people to have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus rose to 1,019, up from 759 yesterday – a dramatic increase of 260. Broken down, a further 246 people died in England, a further four in Wales, a further seven in Scotland, and a further two people died in Northern Ireland.
- If the number of deaths can be kept below 20,000 the government will have done well, said the medical director of NHS England, Stephen Powis. He said we can still beat coronavirus but only if people take physical distancing measures seriously, to reduce the transmission of the virus.
- The business secretary, Alok Sharma, announced changes to insolvency rules to allow firms greater flexibility as they face the current crisis. The measures, Sharma said, would allow firms extra time to keep trading.
- The Home Office will pause evictions and terminations of asylum support for the next three months, even if someone’s claim or appeal has been decided.
- A third cabinet member is self-isolating after developing coronavirus symptoms. Alister Jack, the Scottish secretary, is the third cabinet member to self-isolate after he developed a cough and mild temperature. He has yet to be tested.
- Prisoners in Scotland who are approaching the end of their sentences could be released from next week, as the Scottish government moves to prevent an “increasingly alarming” coronavirus crisis in the country’s jails.
- Boots has opened two drive-through testing sites for NHS workers with coronavirus symptoms. Testing will initially be for NHS staff by invitation only and will be free of charge.
- Burberry became the first leading British fashion house to pledge resources to the NHS fightback against Covid-19. The company will deliver surgical masks to NHS staff and produce non-surgical gowns and masks for patients.
- The Local Government Association has called for members of the public to respect the “tireless efforts” of council staff, following reports of council workers being subjected to verbal and physical abuse in public.
Updated
There’s been an average of 30% increase in deaths each day in the UK, higher than Spain and Italy at this point who were closer to 25%, a correspondent at Sky News says.
Updated
Summary from today's UK briefing
- There will be improvements in the insolvency system, so that businesses facing bust will be supported.
- The Medical Director of the NHS said that if deaths remain below 20,000 we’ll have “done very well”.
- London is not yet at capacity, but is being expanded constantly. Recovery areas and operating theatres, as well as Nightingale hospitals, are being used to treat patients.
- Testing will be increased for NHS staff “in recent days”.
- Another plea was made to the public to act responsibly, saying we all had the chance to “save a life”.
“You have the chance to save a life,” Powis says.
“It really is as simple as that,” he says. “Avoid contact with others, stay at home, and if you’re symptomatic, isolate. That will result in fewer deaths.”
Updated
Powis reiterates that 20,000 deaths in the UK is a “good result”, although each one is a tragedy.
On personal protective equipment, Powis says that supplies are coming in constantly.
About 170m masks have come in to hospitals in recent weeks, and 40m gloves and 25m face masks in recent days.
Sharma adds that suppliers have been asked to prioritise PPE over any other products.
Updated
Sharma said that companies who were required to hold annual general meetings would be able to do so flexibly in a matter compatible with public health guidance.
“This might include postponing or holding the AGM online, or by phone using only proxy voting,” he said.
Updated
Sharma says that the Foreign Office are working hard to organise more charter flights to get Britons stranded abroad home.
The business secretary has announced changes to insolvency rules to allow firms “greater flexibility as they face the current crisis”.
“It is crucial when the crisis passes, as it will, we are ready to bounce back,” Sharma said, as he detailed measures to help businesses “emerge intact the other side of the Covid-19 pandemic”.
“These measures will give those firms extra time and space to weather the storm and be ready when the crisis ends whilst ensuring creditors get the best return possible in the circumstances,” he continued.
The new rules will allow companies undergoing restructuring to continue access to supplies and raw materials.
And, he said, there would be a temporary suspension of wrongful trading provisions for company directors to remove the threat of personal liability during the pandemic, which will apply retrospectively from 1 March.
“However, to be clear, all of the other checks and balances that help to ensure directors fulfil their duties properly will remain in force.”
Updated
When asked if the government can turn the tide sooner than 12 weeks, Sharma says they’re guided by medical advice.
Sharma reiterates that where possible people should work from home, and puts responsibility on employers to follow PHE guidelines and keep their employees safe. If they aren’t doing this, regulatory organisations should be told, he says.
Deaths in the UK have reached 1,019.
“We can beat this virus, we can reduce the number of deaths,” Powis says, but only if the people take social distancing measures seriously.
“Every one of us has a part to play, and we know it can work.”
Powis says that if the government can keep deaths below 20,000 during this epidemic, it will have done well.
Updated
Boris Johnson is showing mild symptoms but continues to lead the country’s effort in combating Covid-19, chairing a meeting this morning, Alok Sharma says.
Updated
It is absolutely critical to introduce testing for NHS staff, Powis says.
He says they’re ramping up testing all the time to test NHS staff, and that they’re working with NHS organisations “as I speak”, and an increases in tests should be in place in coming days.
Stephen Powis, medical director of NHS England, says London is not yet at capacity, but new beds are being opened all the time.
Another 500 beds coming via operation Nightingale are set to become available next week.
Updated
The daily briefing with business secretary Alok Sharma has just begun.
He has announced that the government will be removing administrative barriers to production of face masks and hand sanitiser.
Sharma said “red tape” would be reduced to allow new producers of hand sanitiser to bring products to market “in a matter of days”.
“We are also introducing a range of measures to boost the supply of personal protective equipment, such as face masks, to protect frontline NHS staff,” he told the daily coronavirus press conference in Downing Street.
“And we’re removing administrative barriers to the production of hand sanitiser. By reducing the amount of red tape, new suppliers and businesses that produce ingredients for safe hand sanitiser will be able to bring their products to market in a matter of days.”
Updated
Hello, this is Molly Blackall taking over the live blog. I’ll be sharing all the updates on coronavirus as they come through, beginning with the government’s daily briefing which is due to start any minute.
If you spot anything I miss, do drop me a message on Twitter, @mollyblackall. I won’t be able to reply to everything, but will try to read it all. Thanks in advance!
Updated
Daily news briefing
The government’s daily coronavirus press conference will take place shortly, fronted by the business secretary, Alok Sharma, and NHS England’s medical director, Stephen Powis.
Updated
England women’s cricket captain Heather Knight is one of more than 700,000 people who have signed up for the NHS volunteer scheme launched to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.
Knight said:
I have a lot of free time on my hands and I want to help as much as I can.
My brother and his partner are doctors, and I have a few friends who work in the NHS, so I know how hard they are working and how difficult it is for everyone.
I’m going to get the car out as I’ve volunteered to transport medicine, and also speak to people who are self-isolating. If someone is home alone, you can ring them up and chat. They have had so many people sign up.
Updated
Reacting to the latest figures confirming that 1,019 patients in the UK have now died, Dr Simon Clarke, associate professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, said the toll can be expected to grow substantially in the coming weeks and people must continue to adhere to physical distancing.
He said:
The news that we have passed the milestone of 1,000 Covid-19 deaths, while very sad, is unsurprising.
Over the coming weeks we can expect to see the UK’s toll of the disease grow substantially, with increasingly large day-on-day numbers of the deceased.
It is widely anticipated that we will reach a peak of numbers in around a fortnight, but it should be remembered that the strategy of suppressing the peak, will cause it to broaden and we will see peak mortality level off and stay high for some time before it starts to decrease.
It’s therefore essential that people observe social distancing rules in order to start to turn the tide on the coronavirus.
Updated
Students and staff at the University of Lincoln’s school of engineering are manufacturing safety visors and producing ventilators to help healthcare workers in United Lincolnshire hospitals NHS trust.
Prof Mary Stuart, vice-chancellor of the university, said:
As a university we have a responsibility to serve the community in which we sit, and there has never been a more important time for us to step up and try to make a positive difference to the immense challenges faced by the health service in combating the Covid-19 virus.
We are moving as quickly as we can to support our local community, and the university is contributing a large part of the cost needed to produce the equipment, but we are asking for your help to raise the remaining funds required. Any amount you can give matters; I know that together, we can make a difference, and I hope as many of you as possible can support our efforts.
If you would like to contribute to the campaign, here is the JustGiving page.
Updated
A rocket launch startup has said all of its UK operations are now geared towards tackling the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Edinburgh-based rocket company, Skyrora said it is now producing face visors using its 3D-printing facilities along with hand sanitiser, according to the World Health Organization’s guidelines. It aims to produce more than 10,000 250ml bottles of hand sanitiser per week.
Skyrora said it is in discussions with the Scottish government to determine where their 3D-printed face visors can have the largest impact on protecting health workers. Initial tests are being completed before mass production can begin.
Volodymyr Levykin, chief executive officer of Skyrora, said:
We all must answer to the government and NHS for support and Skyrora is in a fortunate enough position to do so. We are confident that we will get through this stronger.
The startup, founded in 2017, had been working towards test flights of its first spacecraft, and there are surprising links between rocketry and hand sanitiser, TechCrunch reported.
Ethanol, the form of alcohol which provides the main disinfecting ingredient in hand sanitizer, was used in early rocket fuel. However, Skyrora’s “Ecosene” fuel is a type of kerosene – a more modern rocket fuel ingredient.
Updated
Lidl has announced it will be donating thousands of its fresh fruit and vegetable bags to NHS staff across the country in an effort to help provide frontline health workers with fresh produce.
We're keeping our NHS heroes healthy by donating thousands of fresh fruit & veg bags to hospitals across the country 🍎 pic.twitter.com/xmBdkfoNMc
— Lidl GB (@LidlGB) March 28, 2020
The initiative comes through the retailer’s partnership with Royal Voluntary Service, which is committed to supporting those who need it most in hospitals and communities around the country.
The Lidl bags will be distributed to NHS staff at hospital sites UK-wide, getting fresh fruit and vegetables into the hands of frontline health workers.
Christian Härtnagel, CEO of Lidl GB, said:
We are so grateful to the NHS and all of its staff for their hard work every day to help keep the nation safe. This is our small gesture to say thank you, and help provide NHS staff, who may not be able to get into store regularly for basic groceries, with fresh fruit and vegetables.
We hope that through working with Royal Voluntary service to donate these bags to hospitals, we can help make a difference to their daily life.
Burberry will leverage its global supply chain to fast-track the delivery of more than 100,000 surgical masks to the NHS for its medical staff. It is the latest British company to throw its weight behind the fight against coronavirus and the first major UK fashion house to do so.
The luxury label will also repurpose its trench coat factory in Yorkshire to make non-surgical gowns and masks for patients.
It is also funding research into a single-dose vaccine developed by the University of Oxford that is on course to begin human trials next month.
Marco Gobbetti, CEO of Burberry, said:
In challenging times, we must pull together.
The whole team at Burberry is very proud to be able to support those who are working tirelessly to combat Covid-19, whether by treating patients, working to find a vaccine solution or helping provide food supplies to those in need at this time.
Covid-19 has fundamentally changed our everyday lives, but we hope that the support we provide will go some way towards saving more lives, bringing the virus under control and helping our world recover from this devastating pandemic.
Coventry rugby club have taken legal advice and launched a petition that has been signed by thousands of businesses in the leisure industry after the Championship club’s insurer refused to pay out when the season ended prematurely.
Income from the club’s stadium, Butts Park Arena, stopped abruptly because of the coronavirus lockdown, leaving them with a shortfall of £750,000. Backer Jon Sharp stepped in to keep the club afloat and ensure this month’s wages were paid.
The Midlands outfit fear that their dire circumstances are commonplace outside the rugby union elite, and that some clubs will go to the wall without help and a change in insurers’ policies.
Coventry’s managing director, Nick Johnston, said:
We pay £30,000 a year for insurance and were covered by notifiable diseases under the business disruption clause.
We were turned down because no one employed by us has tested positive for the virus, and the excuse another Championship club was given was that Covid-19 was not listed among the diseases covered. It is new, so how could it be?
We are one of many businesses throughout the land in this position and we have taken legal counsel.
I appreciate that the [government’s] priority is saving lives but make no mistake, we are talking about the future of rugby clubs.
Read the full exclusive story here.
Updated
A 14-year-old boy has been charged after a 66-year-old woman was coughed on and spat at in Tameside, Greater Manchester.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been charged with one count of section 39 assault and will appear at Tameside youth ourt on April 7, Greater Manchester police said.
Officers were called just before 8.30pm on 17 March to a report that a boy had been coughing and shouting “coronavirus” at a woman in Ashton-under-Lyne town centre.
Updated
1,019 coronavirus patients in the UK have now died
The Department of Health and SocialCare said another 260 people across the UK had died in the 24 hours up to 5pm on Friday, marking a dramatic one-day rise from 759 – by far the largest since the outbreak began.
The total number of deaths is now 34% higher than the equivalent figure yesterday, the largest day-on-day percentage increase since 18 March, when the total rose from 71 to 104 – a 46% jump.
In England, a further 246 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths there to 935, NHS England said.
“Patients were aged between 33 and 100 years old and all but 13 (aged between 63 and 99 years old) had underlying health conditions,” it said in a statement.
A further four people died from coronavirus in Wales, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths there to 38, health officials have said, adding there are 172 new confirmed cases – bringing the total number to 1,093.
Dr Robin Howe, incident director for the Covid-19 outbreak response at Public Health Wales, warned that the true number of cases was likely to be higher:
Coronavirus is now circulating in every part of Wales. The single most important action we can all take in fighting coronavirus is to stay at home in order to protect the NHS, and save lives.
We know that staying at home can be hard, and we want to thank each and every person across Wales for doing their bit to help slow the spread of the virus.
In Scotland, a further seven people have died after testing positive for coronavirus, taking the total there to 40, the Scottish government announced.
Two further people with Covid-19 have died in Northern Ireland, taking the toll to 15, the nation’s Public Health Agency said.
There were also 49 new positive cases of coronavirus confirmed on Saturday, bringing the total number of known cases there to 324.
Across the UK, a total of 120,776 people have been tested for coronavirus as of 9am on March 28, with 17,089 positive results. As of 5pm on Friday, of those threated in hospital in the UK, 1,019 have died.
Updated
Police promise to act against 'deliberate coughing' at vulnerable people
Police have warned they will take robust action against anyone who coughs on people while claiming to have coronavirus to frighten them.
Officers said they are aware of a number of incidents where people have deliberately coughed, or threatened to cough, on elderly or vulnerable people after suggesting they are infected with Covid-19.
Police Scotland said it was not a “harmless prank” and was extremely upsetting for victims.
Ch Supt David Duncan said:
These are difficult times and we all need to look out for others and do what we can to keep our communities as safe as possible.
We’ve become aware of a number of incidents where people have suggested they are infected with coronavirus and deliberately coughed, or threatened to cough, on elderly or vulnerable people.
This is not a harmless prank - this is extremely upsetting to victims and causes fear and increased anxiety at an already stressful time. We will not tolerate this kind of behaviour and we will take robust action against anyone threatening other people in this way.
The call comes after police confirmed a group of teenagers in Cheshire who claimed to have coronavirus and deliberately coughed at NHS staff would be prosecuted.
Meanwhile, a man in Manchester has also been charged with assault after allegedly coughing at a police officer and claiming to have the coronavirus.
Greater Manchester police said Mateusz Rejewski, 33, of no fixed abode, was charged with one count of common assault on an emergency service worker – who is now self-isolating as a precaution – and one count of breaching a dispersal notice.
Rejewski has been remanded in custody and will appear at Manchester magistrates court on Tuesday.
Updated
Police have urged motorcyclists to stay out of the countryside and told them they cannot claim it is part of their permitted daily exercise.
Insp Mark Gee, manning a vehicle check point in Richmondshire, North Yorkshire, said:
We have had motorcyclists coming into the Dales claiming they are exercising. We have to remind people, exercise should be done from your home address, on foot unless you’re on a bike.
Every time you are on a road there’s an increased chance of a collision and if that happens, it is putting a strain on our local NHS resources which are limited in any case, even without us facing a worldwide crisis.
Meanwhile, in North Wales, officers have criticised a driver who took their child out for a driving lesson because they wanted to make the most of the quiet roads, saying this was not an essential journey.
And in Bournemouth a woman has been arrested after “endlessly driving around for no reason”, police said.
In a Facebook post, the force said an officer “pleaded” with the woman to go home before she swore at him and told him: “I’ll do what I like”.
Police said she was then arrested for breaching a dispersal notice, the BBC reported.
Updated
Fitness coach Joe Wicks has said he is donating “every single penny” of the money made by his online PE sessions to the NHS.
Wicks’s YouTube channel, The Body Coach, has live fitness sessions aimed at children in a bid to help them stay active while the UK is in lockdown and schools are closed. In the first two days alone, more than 5 million people had viewed his lessons.
Thank you @NHSuk ❤️ pic.twitter.com/05eEmkCSG4
— The Body Coach (@thebodycoach) March 27, 2020
Updated
A medical fetish site says it has donated its entire stock of disposable scrubs to an NHS hospital that was “desperate” for supplies.
In a thread posted on Twitter, MedFetUK wrote:
We have been contacted this week by representatives of NHS procurement all over the country, trying to source basic protective equipment and clothing.
When we, a tiny company set up to serve a small section of the kink community, find ourselves being sought out as a last-resort supplier to our National Health Service in a time of crisis, something is seriously wrong. In fact, it’s scandalous.
Today we donated our entire stock of disposable scrubs to an NHS hospital. It was just a few sets, because we don't carry large stocks, but they were desperate, so we sent them free of charge.
— MedFetUK (@MedFet_UK) March 27, 2020
We don't usually do politics on Twitter, but here's a short thread. [1/5] pic.twitter.com/Z4ygmGr99M
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Home Office pauses evictions and terminations of asylum support for next three months
Last night the British Red Cross says it received a letter from the Home Office minister Chris Philp announcing that people will not be evicted from asylum accommodation for the next three months, even if their claim has been rejected, as part of measures to combat the coronavirus outbreak.
In the letter the minister said:
The practical outcome is that those who would ordinarily have their support stopped because their asylum claim or appeal has been rejected, will remain accommodated.
I expect this decision to considerably relieve pressures on local authorities.
Philp said that those who are granted refugee status, and so would be required to make their own arrangements, will also be able to remain in their current accommodation.
The decision will be reviewed before the end of June.
Welcoming the decision on Twitter, the charity said this will ensure that almost 50,000 people currently housed by the Home Office have the same protection against eviction as those in private accommodation, and financial support will also continue.
Some welcome news to start the weekend. Last night @BritishRedCross received a letter from @ukhomeoffice Minister @CPhilpOfficial announcing that people won't be evicted from asylum accommodation for the next three months.#COVID19 #EveryRefugeeMatters pic.twitter.com/FmPH3fzLfE
— British Red Cross Policy (@RedCrossPolicy) March 28, 2020
A full list of the changes can be found on the Refugee Council website here.
BREAKING NEWS!!!!
— Refugee Council (@refugeecouncil) March 28, 2020
The Home Office have confirmed that ALL evictions and terminations of asylum support have been paused for 3 months. Find out more and read the letter from Home Office Minister Chris Philp confirming this on our website at: https://t.co/KDlVr4PHyP
Updated
Midday summary
- The secretary of state for Scotland, Alister Jack, is self-isolating after developing coronavirus symptoms. He is the third cabinet member, after Boris Johnson and the health secretary, Matt Hancock, tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday, to self-isolate after experiencing symptoms. In the past 24 hours, Jack said he had developed a cough and mild temperature so was self-isolating and working from home. He has yet to be tested.
- Prisoners in Scotland who are approaching the end of their sentences could be released from next week, as the Scottish government moves to prevent an “increasingly alarming” coronavirus crisis in the country’s jails.
- Boots has opened two drive-through testing sites for NHS workers with coronavirus symptoms. Testing will initially be for NHS staff by invitation only and will be free of charge.
- The Local Government Association has called for members of the public to respect the “tireless efforts” of council staff, following reports of council workers being subjected to verbal and physical abuse in public.
Updated
Scottish secretary Alister Jack self-isolating with Covid-19 symptoms
A third member of Boris Johnson’s cabinet is self-isolating after developing coronavirus symptoms.
The secretary of tate for Scotland, Alister Jack, said:
In the past 24 hours, I have developed mild symptoms associated with coronavirus. In line with medical guidance, I am self-isolating and working from home.
The Conservative MP for Dumfries and Galloway has a mild temperature and a cough and has not been tested.
Updated
Boots has opened testing sites to be able to test NHS workers showing coronavirus symptoms free of charge at drive-through centres.
The company opened facilities at its headquarters in Nottingham and at Chessington World of Adventures in Surrey to support the government’s bid to test doctors and nurses who have been self-isolating and are unsure whether they have the virus.
Boots said locations for more test centres are still being defined around the country, but they will not be in its stores. The sites will initially be for NHS staff by invitation only.
Richard Bradley, pharmacy director for Boots UK, told PA:
We are here today at the home of Boots in Beeston, Nottingham, to open a testing site for Covid-19 to be able to test NHS workers completely free of charge so that they can return to work to support their colleagues on the frontline.
In the first instance, the tests are for the NHS workers who are isolating themselves, unsure if they have Covid-19 or not.
Updated
Council workers have been spat on and sworn at as they carry out their duties during the coronavirus crisis – while one had his leg broken after a cyclist rode into him.
The Local Government Association (LGA) said there had been a number of “sickening physical and verbal assaults” on workers as it called on the public to respect the “tireless efforts” of council staff.
We're heartbroken to hear that some of our #LocalGov colleagues have been abused while working to keep communities running.
— Local Government Association (@LGAcomms) March 27, 2020
This is unacceptable. They're our people and they are working tirelessly to get us all through💙
A #ThankYouLocalGov thread 👇 pic.twitter.com/l2xk76DG82
Southend-on-Sea borough council said police were investigating after a cyclist rode into a community safety patrol officer and broke his leg on Thursday. The incident, which took place in Southend High Street, was captured on CCTV.
Meanwhile, Swindon borough council reported that staff at its household waste recycling centre had been “spat and sworn at” last weekend, when the site was restricted to essential recycling only.
Councillor James Jamieson, the chairman of the LGA, said:
Local government workers should always be respected and valued - even more so in these challenging times - when they are needed more than ever.
It is becoming increasingly concerning to hear that local government workers are being subjected to physical and verbal abuse as they try and play their part in keeping the country running through this crisis.
This is unacceptable, and it has to stop.
⚠️We are increasingly concerned about attacks on council staff working to protect communities from #coronavirus and keep services running @JGJamieson: “#Localgov staff should always be respected and valued – even more so in these challenging times.”https://t.co/YVPjKQsjf8
— LGANews (@LGANews) March 28, 2020
Updated
Prisoners in Scotland who are approaching the end of their sentences could be released from next week, as the Scottish government moves to prevent an “increasingly alarming” coronavirus crisis in the country’s jails.
Scotland’s justice secretary, Humza Yousaf, said on Friday that he was “actively considering” options for early release:
I cannot envisage a situation where we’re seeing the rate of infection, the spread of the virus in our prison establishment, the rate of absence amongst our prison officers and staff, where we do not release prisoners to make that a safer environment.
Yousaf told BBC Scotland’s The Nine:
We are actively looking at options to do that. It could happen as early as next week. The situation is increasingly alarming.
As of Friday, the Scottish Prison Service confirmed that 111 individuals across 10 establishments were self-isolating.
Get the full story here.
With birthdays and other celebrations no exception to the rules of physical distancing and remaining confined to our homes, one-year-old David’s grandparents pulled out all the stops to recreate that scene from Love, Actually to wish him a happy birthday through the front window.
Davids 1st birthday today and we had planned it to be so different than it was, my mum and dad have pulled it out the bag and came to the window and done this 😭😭😭❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/aVZ3wKbVp6
— Kelsey Brown (@KelseyBrownxx) March 27, 2020
You can read more about how neighbours around the country have been rallying to mark birthdays while in isolation here.
Updated
Lidl is to roll out thousands of reusable protective safety visors to its staff working in its 800 supermarkets in England, Scotland and Wales, to ensure the safety of its workforce and customers.
The safety visors will help create a barrier between staff and customers during conversation at a safe distance. Made to be worn multiple times, they are easy to wipe down and disinfect after wear.
Christian Härtnagel, chief executive of Lidl GB, commented:
We’re committed to ensuring our colleagues and customers feel safe, which is why we’re providing all stores here in Great Britain with safety visors.
On Tuesday it said it would be installing thousands of safety screens at checkouts as well as creating up to 2,500 new store jobs to provide necessary additional support to its workforce and customers.
Frozen food specialist Iceland has ordered protective gloves and face masks for staff although managing director Richard Walker told Radio 4’s Today programme that huge demand meant the masks were unlikely to arrive in store until next week.
A man has urged the British people to stay at home in an emotional video filmed hours after losing his mother to coronavirus. Stuart Hamlin’s mother, Tracy, was admitted to hospital with Covid-19 symptoms and died four days later.
I’m doing this because I want people to understand that this virus is not a joke.
Losing someone is hard enough, but not being able to hold your family close when you do is the most gut-wrenching pain I’ve ever felt in my life.
Updated
The Welsh education minister, Kirsty Williams, has called on school staff to do what they can to keep schools open for NHS staff and carers during the two weeks that would have been the Easter holidays.
Speaking in a video on Twitter, Williams said:
In this time of national need, our school community has stepped up and met the challenge. More than 700 schools have stayed open to look after the children of NHS staff, carers, people who are saving lives. I am now asking you to do more and keep schools open during what would have been school holidays.
It has never been more important for our children and young people to be surrounded by the people they know and trust. I am asking you to be flexible, and to offer up some time during the Easter period to continue to support both vulnerable children and the families of our critical workers.
Williams said she was not asking school staff to put themselves at risk and reiterated that teachers should follow the latest Welsh government guidance of making school settings safe and the latest public health advice.
The minister also confirmed that the current provision of assistance to families of children in receipt of free school meals would include the Easter school holiday period.
An important message to our heroic teaching community.https://t.co/a7l6guRJNO pic.twitter.com/A98OMBf7Ps
— Kirsty Williams (@wgmin_education) March 28, 2020
Updated
Following the news yesterday that the prime minister had tested positive for Covid-19 and is self-isolating and faces accusations of complacency in adhering to his advice on physical distancing, let us cast our minds back to Boris Johnson’s comments at a news briefing earlier this month.
I was at a hospital the other night where, I think, there were actually a few coronavirus patients and I shook hands with everybody, you’ll be pleased to know, and I continue to shake hands.
That aged well.
Updated
Good morning. Hundreds of frontline NHS workers in England will begin being tested for coronavirus this weekend, starting with critical care doctors and nurses. The move, announced yesterday, follows much criticism over the lack of testing for health workers during the outbreak so far.
Boris Johnson will continue commanding the response to the coronavirus pandemic while self-isolating in Downing Street after testing positive for the disease yesterday.
The head of the National Police Chiefs’ Council has told the Times (paywall) that with another sunny weekend is upon us, the public need to be aware that “this is a national emergency not a national holiday”. Martin Hewitt told the public to respect the rules of the lockdown, as police face a battle to prevent people from leaving their homes.
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.
If you want to follow me or contact me on Twitter, I’m on @lucy_campbell_.
