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Covid-19: the role of vitamin D – podcast Sarah Boseley talks to Prof Susan Lanham-New about vitamin D and whether it could play a role in protecting us against Covid-19 Continue reading... Go to Source

Tory unrest increases pressure on PM to sack Dominic Cummings Extraordinary party revolt and public criticisms reflect anger over aide’s lockdown breachesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson faced an extraordinary and growing revolt from within his own party on Tuesday over his refusal to sack his chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, for breaching lockdown rules.On a day of dramatic developments, a junior minister resigned and more than 30 other Conservative MPs called for Cummings to go, many citing inboxes overflowing with hundreds of angry messages from constituents. Continue reading... Go to Source

Public anger swells ranks of Tory MPs turning on Dominic Cummings At least 32 publicly call for PM’s aide to go as their postbags and inboxes bulge with complaintsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDominic Cummings has little love for Tory MPs, having once said they “basically don’t care” about ordinary people.But a swelling band of Conservatives showed on Tuesday they were prepared to be swayed by the ordinary people who are their constituents, as at least 32 publicly called for Cummings to resign or be sacked for breaking lockdown rules. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: Putin says Russia past peak of outbreak despite highest daily death toll WHO warns of second peak as global cases pass 5.5m; Irish taoiseach Leo Varadkar denies picnic with friends was rule breach; world health leaders urge green recoveryGlobal report: ‘disaster’ looms as WHO warns of second peakLeo Varadkar denies picnic with friends broke Covid-19 rulesPolice open investigation into Dominic Cummings US coronavirus updates - liveCoronavirus latest: at a glance 12.42am BSTIn England, regional flare-ups of coronavirus cases after rules are eased will be tackled with “local lockdowns”, the health secretary has said.Matt Hancock told the No 10 daily press briefing the ability to tighten restrictions in individual regions would be part of the N...

Remdesivir drug to be available for selected NHS Covid-19 patients Drug pioneered for Ebola to be used in UK under emergency medicines provisionCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA drug that reduces recovery time from Covid-19 will be made available to a number of NHS patients in “probably the biggest step forward in the treatment of coronavirus” since the pandemic began, the UK health secretary has said.Matt Hancock on Tuesday welcomed the authorisation of the experimental antiviral drug remdesivir, which has been shown to reduce recovery time for patients in hospital with Covid-19 from 15 days to 11 days. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: minister resigns over Dominic Cummings' lockdown trip Douglas Ross resigns as under-secretary of state for Scotland over adviser’s actions Cummings refuses to resign or apologise for lockdown breach‘Political gale’: world press on Dominic Cummings’ self-defenceGlobal coronavirus updates - liveCoronavirus latest: at a glanceSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.52pm BSTAn NHS doctor has launched a legal challenge against the government for “the lack of protection provided by our ministers”. Dr Meenal Viz said:I’ve seen many of my colleagues suffer and die due to the lack of protection provided by our ministers. It was one death that hit home, the death of pregnant nurse Mary Agyapong - I held a one-woman protest outside Downing...

Outside socialising may be relaxed in England within weeks But Michael Gove says pubs, cafes and restaurants will not return to normal any time soonCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coveragePeople in England could be allowed to socialise in bigger groups in gardens or parks in the coming weeks, a cabinet minister has confirmed, but visiting friends and family indoors still appears to be some way off.Pressure is mounting on the government to make clear its plans for easing restrictions on social contact, after Boris Johnson announced outdoor markets and car showrooms could open from next week and non-essential retail outlets from 15 June. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: global cases pass 5.5m as WHO warns of 'second peak' Irish taoiseach Leo Varadkar denies picnic with friends was rule breach; World health leaders urge green recovery; Singapore warns of worst economic contractionGlobal report: ‘disaster’ looms as WHO warns of second peakLeo Varadkar denies picnic with friends broke Covid-19 rulesDominic Cummings refuses to resign or apologise for lockdown breachUK coronavirus updates - liveCoronavirus latest: at a glance 12.57pm BSTCoronavirus has prevented the scheduled return home of hundreds of Irish troops who have served on UN peacekeeping duties in southern Lebanon. Around 360 soldiers from the Irish Defence Forces will not see their families until the end of June even though some have been serving in the zone b...

Chinese city plans to turn coronavirus app into permanent health tracker Officials in Hangzhou say system will be a ‘firewall to enhance people’s health and immunity’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA Chinese city is planning to make a health-tracking app introduced as part of the coronavirus response a permanent fixture for its population of 10 million.Versions of the app have been used across mainland China. It displays a QR code with an individual’s virus status, which can be used to determine the extent to which the individual is allowed to move about. Continue reading... Go to Source

Research reveals gene role in both dementia and severe Covid-19 Having two copies of e4 variant of ApoE gene linked to double risk of severe Covid-19, study suggestsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coveragePeople with a genetic mutation that increases the risk of dementia also have a greater chance of having severe Covid-19, researchers have revealed.The study is the latest to suggest genetics may play a role in why some people are more vulnerable to the coronavirus than others, and could help explain why people with dementia have been hard hit: dementia is one of the most common underlying health conditions among those who have died from Covid-19 in England and Wales. Continue reading... Go to Source

Dominic Cummings refuses to resign or apologise for lockdown breach Press conference raises more questions but Boris Johnson gives full backing to adviserCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe crisis that has engulfed the government over Dominic Cummings’ conduct continued to rage unabated after an unprecedented press conference in which the prime minister’s chief aide repeatedly refused to resign or apologise for breaking lockdown rules.After an outpouring of public anger rattled No 10, he attempted to explain why he drove 264 miles from London to his parents’ estate in Durham despite suspecting that both he and his wife had coronavirus. Continue reading... Go to Source

Dutch PM Mark Rutte did not visit dying mother due to Covid-19 restrictions Office of the PM says Rutte ‘complied with all directives’ and did not see his mother in the weeks before her deathCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was unable to visit his dying mother in her final weeks because he obeyed coronavirus restrictions against visiting care homes, his office has said.The news about Rutte emerged as Britain was gripped by a political row over allegations that the top aide to prime minister Boris Johnson broke Covid-19 rules to travel cross-country to stay on his parents’ estate. Continue reading... Go to Source

‘I think I behaved reasonably’: Dominic Cummings defends actions in lockdown row Boris Johnson’s chief adviser refuses to resign in public statement from Downing StreetCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDominic Cummings has refused to resign or apologise for driving 264 miles to Durham to isolate on his parents’ property while his wife was sick with suspected coronavirus.In an unprecedented move for a senior political adviser, Cummings addressed criticism of his actions from the rose garden of No 10 Downing Street on Monday afternoon, following an outpouring of anger among the public, MPs, bishops, police, scientists and medics. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: Boris Johnson's senior adviser refuses to apologise for lockdown breach Dominic Cummings will not resign; WHO drops hydroxychloroquine from global study into experimental coronavirus treatments; Follow the latestDominic Cummings refuses to resign or apologise for lockdown breachWHO halts hydroxychloroquine trial for coronavirus amid safety fearsAustralia coronavirus - liveCoronavirus latest: at a glance 12.33am BSTThe White House on Monday issued a statement amending the timing of the start of new restrictions on travel from Brazil to the United States to 11.59pm Eastern Time on Tuesday, 26 May.The White House announced on Sunday that it was restricting travel from Brazil to the United States, two days after the South American nation became the world’s No. 2...

Dominic Cummings tries to explain when and why of lockdown trip Key exchanges from press conference given by Boris Johnson’s chief aideCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAfter more than seven weeks of refusing to give any detailed explanation about whether – and why - he had gone to Durham during lockdown, the prime minister’s special adviser Dominic Cummings took centre stage in an unprecedented press conference in the Rose Garden of No 10.Here are the key exchanges with journalists: Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: Dominic Cummings says he drove to Barnard Castle to test his eyesight Boris Johnson’s most senior adviser says he has not considered resigning and does not regret his actions Johnson faces renewed Tory pressure to sack CummingsDominic Cummings facing possible police investigationGlobal coronavirus updates - liveSee all our coronavirus coverage 6.51pm BSTUnions and business groups have backed the government’s plan to bail out strategically important companies whose failure would “disproportionately harm the economy”.Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, is exploring plans for the taxpayer to step in and rescue struggling companies to prevent a wave of job losses in sectors that have been hardest hit during the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown. Related...

WHO halts hydroxychloroquine trial for coronavirus amid safety fears Malaria drug taken by Trump could raise risk of death and heart problems, study showsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe World Health Organization has said it will temporarily drop hydroxychloroquine — the malaria drug Donald Trump said he is taking as a precaution — from its global study into experimental coronavirus treatments after safety concerns.The WHO’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in light of a paper published last week in the Lancet that showed people taking hydroxychloroquine were at higher risk of death and heart problems than those who were not, it would pause the hydroxychloroquine arm of its solidarity global clinical trial. Continue ...

Attorney general faces calls to resign after she defends Dominic Cummings Suella Braverman’s backing undermines independence of her office, say top lawyersCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage The attorney general, Suella Braverman, is facing calls to resign after she joined the chorus of Downing Street loyalists defending Dominic Cummings’s trip to Durham during lockdown.Lawyers expressed astonishment that Braverman should have joined in what opponents described as an “orchestrated political” action. Her intervention, it is alleged, undermines the independence of her office as the government’s chief legal adviser and puts her in an impossible position in relation to any subsequent police inquiry. Continue reading... Go to So...

Durham police to be asked to investigate Dominic Cummings Force to establish facts about PM’s chief aide’s trip to north-east England during lockdownCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe police and crime commissioner for Durham is to formally write to the chief constable of the force he oversees asking for an investigation into Dominic Cummings.Steve White, the acting police, crime and victims’ commissioner for Durham, will on Monday ask the force to investigate all the claims about the prime minister’s principal adviser’s time in the Durham area during the coronavirus lockdown and establish the facts. Continue reading... Go to Source

Bishops turn on Boris Johnson for defending Dominic Cummings C of E may refuse to work with government in pandemic after PM ‘breaks trust of nation’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageChurch of England bishops have fired a volley of unprecedented criticism at Boris Johnson over his defence of actions taken by his chief aide, Dominic Cummings. One suggested the church could decline to work with the government during the coronavirus crisis “unless we see clear repentance, including the sacking of Cummings”.More than a dozen bishops questioned the integrity of the prime minister following his press conference on Sunday, in which he refused to acknowledge that Cummings had breached lockdown rules when he travelled with his infected wife ...

Somerset hospital closed to new patients to halt spread of coronavirus Weston general hospital also shuts A&E department after ‘spike’ in infectionsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA general hospital in Somerset has temporarily stopped accepting new patients in an attempt to stop the spread of Covid-19 on site.Weston general hospital in Weston-super-Mare stopped taking admissions, including into its A&E department, from 8am on Monday “to maintain patient and staff safety”. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: Spain eases restrictions in major cities; Japan to end state of emergency Madrid and Barcelona move to next phase of lockdown; UK PM continues to back senior adviser; Germany enters recession Global report: US suspends travel from Brazil as schools reopen in parts of AustraliaUK adviser Cummings facing possible police investigationUK coronavirus updates - live Coronavirus latest: at a glance 12.48pm BSTGreece has taken another step towards normality today reinstating ferry links with islands and allowing restaurants, cafes and bars to reopen, writes Helena Smith in Athens. The moves, designed to kick start the country’s tourist industry ahead of seasonal hotels also re-opening on 15 June, follow almost three months of enforced closure thanks to coronavirus. ...

Johnson's defence of Cummings sparks anger from allies and opponents alike Possible police investigation of aide is latest in series of Guardian disclosures that have rocked the governmentCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson has staked his political reputation on saving the career of Dominic Cummings, amid growing anger among Conservative MPs that the No 10 chief adviser has not been forced out for breaking lockdown rules.Under intense pressure to explain why Cummings drove his wife, who was suffering coronavirus symptoms, and son 264 miles to his parents’ farm in Durham, the prime minister said on Sunday that Cummings had “acted responsibly, legally and with integrity”. Continue reading... Go to Source

Dominic Cummings facing possible police investigation as pressure mounts Exclusive: retired chemistry teacher Robin Lees makes complaint to police about alleged trip to Barnard CastleTimeline: what we know about aide’s movementsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDominic Cummings is facing a possible police investigation under health laws over a claim that he breached self-isolation rules in north-east England, after a weekend of mounting pressure on the prime minister to sack his chief adviser.Retired chemistry teacher Robin Lees made a complaint to the police after reporting that he saw Cummings and his family on 12 April walking in the town of Barnard Castle before getting into a car, a joint investigation by the Guardian and Mirror can reveal. Con...

Coronavirus live news: US bars travel from Brazil as British PM’s adviser reported to police over lockdown breach Boris Johnson backs Dominic Cummings despite outcry; France sees lowest daily cases and deaths since lockdown; India resumes domestic flights. Follow the latest updatesUS bars travellers who have been in Brazil in last two weeksDominic Cummings facing possible police investigation as pressure mountsJohnson’s defence of Cummings sparks anger from allies and opponents Australia coronavirus – liveCoronavirus latest: at a glance 12.52am BSTA top White House official on Sunday likened China’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak to the Soviet Union’s cover-up of the meltdown at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986.National security adviser Robert O&rs...

PM accepts some English primary schools may not return on 1 June Boris Johnson has agreed schools need more time to prepare for restartCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson is pressing ahead with plans to reopen schools on 1 June but moved to appease councils and teaching unions by acknowledging for the first time that primary schools in England won’t have to reopen to more pupils until they are prepared.The acknowledgment by the prime minister came in his opening statement at the daily Covid-19 press conference on Sunday, in which Johnson said the government wanted primary schools to plan for allowing pupils in reception, year one and year six to return on 1 June. Continue reading... Go to Source

Boris Johnson backs Dominic Cummings in face of Tory calls for chief aide to resign Prime minister says key adviser acted ‘responsibly, legally and with integrity’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson has pledged his complete support for Dominic Cummings over a trip to a distant family home during the peak of the lockdown, using a Downing Street press conference to insist his chief adviser “acted responsibly, legally and with integrity”.Facing intense pressure to explain why Cummings appeared to have flouted lockdown rules by driving more than 260 miles to his parents’ estate in Durham with his wife and young son after his wife became ill, the prime minister said Cummings had simply been trying to keep his family sa...

How Dominic Cummings became indispensable to Boris Johnson PM prizes aide’s ability to slice through complexities and has sought to defend him following lockdown breachCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIn Downing Street on Brexit night, 31 January this year, while Boris Johnson sounded a gong and quaffed Chateau Margaux, Dominic Cummings reportedly wept.For Johnson, getting Brexit done was part and parcel of achieving his long-held ambition to be prime minister (the next best thing to “world king”, as the young Johnson once put it). Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: France asks citizens to avoid foreign trips; Wuhan lab had bat viruses but not Covid-19 US likely to impose travel restrictions on Brazil; Afghanistan cases top 10,000; Taliban announces ceasefire over EidWuhan lab says its bat strains were not Covid-19 as US nears 100,00 deathsUK coronavirus updates - liveCoronavirus latest: at a glance 6.46pm BSTSouth Africa will further relax coronavirus lockdown restrictions from 1 June, President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced, allowing large areas of the economy to fully reopen.“Cabinet has determined that the alert level for the whole country should be lowered from level four to level three,” he said in an address broadcast on television, describing the move as a significant shift in approach to the pandemic. 6.4...

England and Wales face backlog of 40,000 criminal cases due to coronavirus Criminal Bar Association warns of scale of challenge posed by pandemic as virtual hearings trigger fears about fairnessHas the UK justice system been changed for ever by the coronavirus?Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe criminal justice system in England and Wales is facing a backlog of 40,000 criminal cases, which will not be solved even if all crown courts are brought into service under physical distancing rules, the Criminal Bar Association has warned.The scale of the challenge to the justice system posed by the coronavirus pandemic is becoming apparent, as virtual hearings transform business in the higher civil courts but trigger alarms about the fairness of remote proceedi...