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Coronavirus live news: WHO and Five Eyes reject Chinese lab theory as global deaths pass 250,000 French hospital discovers Covid-19 case from December; Italy’s death toll higher than reported; leaders pledge $8bn to fight virus. Follow the latest updatesFive Eyes network contradicts theory Covid-19 leaked from labGerman cases ‘may be 10 times higher than official figures’Australia coronavirus updates - liveSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.49am BSTApple Inc and Alphabet Inc’s Google on Monday said they would ban the use of location tracking in apps that use a new contact tracing system the two are building to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, Reuters reports. Apple and Google, whose operating systems power 99% of smart phones, said last month they would...

Five friends, five victims: how Covid-19 tore a hole in one Pakistani community Loved by their 41 grandchildren, the men died within 17 days of each other. Their loss highlights the virus’s brutal toll on minoritiesIn photographs together and with their families, the five men smile, or hold their loved ones close. All 50 or older, their friendships ranged over decades, their passions running from philanthropy to cycling, their duties from activism to business. A little over two weeks ago, they were pillars of the Pakistani community in the small pocket of Birmingham in which they all lived, with 41 grandchildren between them. Now they are all dead, victims of coronavirus.“We will be lost without them,” said Amer Awan, 44, whose 67-year-old father Nazir is among the dea...

PHE to review how ethnicity affects vulnerability to coronavirus Deprivation, age, gender and obesity will also feature in review of thousands of health records A review will analyse how factors such as ethnicity, obesity and gender can affect people’s vulnerability to coronavirus, health leaders have said.Public Health England (PHE) said thousands of health records of people who have had Covid-19 will be examined to establish more “robust” data on what can have an impact on the number of cases and health outcomes for different groups within the population. Continue reading... Go to Source

Contact-tracing app to be piloted on Isle of Wight this week, Matt Hancock says ‘Huge enthusiasm’ on the island for scheme to help beat coronavirus, claims health secretaryA new contact tracing app for managing the coronavirus outbreak will be piloted on the Isle of Wight this week, Matt Hancock has confirmed.Having stopped trying to track every case back in March, when the virus began spreading freely in the population, the government is now recruiting what the health secretary called an “army” of human contact-tracers. Continue reading... Go to Source

‘The biggest shock was fresh air’: Italy begins cautious exit from virus lockdown As restrictions gradually ease and 4m people return to work, fear of coronavirus lingersCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThere were feelings of relief and trepidation as people in Italy returned to the streets after almost two months indoors under a strict lockdown. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus US live: Trump administration reportedly expects daily death toll to double in June Trump administration privately predicts major increaseSupreme court livestreams arguments for first time in historyUS cases at 1,157,875 according to Johns Hopkins dataMcConnell could yet pay price for ‘tone deaf’ responseLive global updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageGet a fresh perspective on America – sign up to our First Thing newsletter 6.37pm BSTThe Guardian’s Sam Levine reports:Texas attorney general Ken Paxton said Friday that fear of contracting Covid-19 was an “emotional condition,” and was an insufficient reason to request a mail-in ballot in his state. Related: Vote safely by mail in November? Not so fast, say Republicans 6.24pm BSTThe Whit...

Coronavirus live news: world leaders pledge $8bn to fight pandemic; Italy death toll 'far higher than reported' French hospital discovers Covid-19 case from December; cases in Germany likely to be 10 times higher than official count, say researchers; Japan extends state of emergency as global cases top 3.5mFull story: German cases ‘may be 10 times higher than official figures’Italy begins cautious exit from lockdownTrump predicts up to 100,000 US deathsUK coronavirus updates - liveSee all our coronavirus coverage 6.43pm BSTThe World Health Organization has stressed that contact-tracing apps and other technology cannot replace old-fashioned “boots-on-the-ground” surveillance measures as many countries begin easing lockdowns imposed to curb the coronavirus. “...

The inside story of the UK's NHS coronavirus ventilator challenge It all began with a woeful shortage of machines – and a desperate search to find firms to make themCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAs realisation dawned that a full-blown coronavirus outbreak was inevitable, the government set British industry a seemingly impossible task.The NHS had about 8,000 ventilators available but the latest modelling, based on evidence from China, suggested that up to 30,000 would be needed, within a matter of weeks. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus plan for returning to work puts employees at risk, says TUC Exclusive: draft guidelines ‘vague, non-binding and can’t be supported in current form’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBritain’s trade union body has warned the government’s draft guidelines for getting employees back to work during the coronavirus crisis will put people’s health at risk and cannot be supported in their current form.Frances O’Grady, the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), criticised the non-binding guidelines for letting employers decide what is safe when it comes to distance between workers, cleaning practices and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: cases in Germany likely to be 10 times higher than official count, say researchers Japan extends state of emergency as global cases top 3.5m; Trump claims vaccine will be found by end of year; Brazil passes 100,000 cases; New Zealand records no new cases for first timeTrump predicts up to 100,000 US deathsJapan extends state of emergencyUK coronavirus updates - liveCoronavirus latest: at a glanceSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.53pm BSTTwo US biotech companies have identified a drug candidate for treating Covid-19 and plan to begin human testing by the end of the year, the companies said on Monday. Vir Biotechnology Inc and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc said the therapy candidate makes use of RNA interference (RNAi) technology that targets and “silences&rdq...

Coronavirus US live: Trump says 'we may have to put out a fire' if second wave hits as deaths reach 67,000 US cases at 1,157,875 according to Johns Hopkins dataMitch McConnell could yet pay price for ‘tone deaf’ coronavirus responseGovernor slams ‘racism’ of Michigan lockdown protestLive global updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageGet a fresh perspective on America – sign up to our First Thing newsletter 12.51pm BSTIn the words of that meme with the dog with the coffee in the burning room, “this is fine”:“Concast” should open up a long overdue Florida Cold Case against Psycho Joe Scarborough. I know him and Crazy Mika well, used them beautifully in the last Election, dumped them nicely, and will state on the record that he is &ldqu...

Male experts dominate UK news shows during coronavirus crisis Study shows imbalance of 2.7 men for every woman on radio and TV programmes in March Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAlmost three times as many male as female experts featured on the UK’s flagship TV and radio news programmes in March as the media focused on the political handling of the coronavirus outbreak across Britain.Research focused on the makeup of experts appearing on the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, BBC News At Ten, ITV News at Ten, Kay Burley’s breakfast show on Sky News, Channel 4 News and Channel 5 News found an imbalance of 2.7 men for every female expert. Continue reading... Go to Source

Amlo’s coronavirus briefings rival Trump’s: ‘a spectacle without any value’ Like Trump, Mexican president’s press briefings focus as much on personal promotion as on offering information In the course of a two-and-a-half-hour press briefing, the president claimed the country had “flattened” its coronavirus curve (despite official figures showing a relentless rise in cases), he spent several minutes assailing a national newspaper for what he said was unfair coverage, and he defended his attempt to seize control of the budget.But the leader extemporizing in front of the cameras was not Donald Trump. It was Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, whose relish for encounters with the press rivals that of his US counterpart. Continue reading... ...

Coronavirus health passports for UK 'possible in months' Tech firm Onfido in talks with government about system to help Britons return to workCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageTech firms are in talks with ministers about creating health passports to help Britons return safely to work using coronavirus testing and facial recognition.Facial biometrics could be used to help provide a digital certificate – sometimes known as an immunity passport – proving which workers have had Covid-19, as a possible way of easing the impact on the economy and businesses from ongoing physical distancing even after current lockdown measures are eased. Continue reading... Go to Source

'Happy hypoxia': unusual coronavirus effect baffles doctors Some patients who appear not in distress are found to have dangerously low oxygen levelsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIt is a mystery that has left doctors questioning the basic tenets of biology: Covid-19 patients who are talking and apparently not in distress, but who have oxygen levels low enough to typically cause unconsciousness or even death.The phenomenon, known by some as “happy hypoxia” (some prefer the term “silent”) is raising questions about exactly how the virus attacks the lungs and whether there could be more effective ways of treating such patients. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: Mike Pompeo pushes virus lab theory as Brazil passes 100,000 cases Bolsonaro continues to stoke protests; Italy reports lowest deaths since lockdown began; France and UK trial tracing apps. Follow the latest updatesMike Pompeo: ‘enormous evidence’ coronavirus came from Chinese labBoris Johnson: it was 50-50 whether to put me on ventilatorAustralia coronavirus – live updatesCoronavirus latest: at a glanceSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.52am BSTThis is the setting for Tump’s Fox News town hall, by the way: I’m sorry, what? pic.twitter.com/dKvjfG8SMq 12.50am BSTPresident Trump is giving a sit-down interview with Fox news, and taking calls from viewers about the coronavirus.Asked about a Covid-19 vaccine, he says: “We are very c...

Covid-19 tracking app must satisfy human rights and data laws Legal report states that interference with users’ privacy will require ‘greater justification’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe government’s plan to exit lockdown through a tracking app will need detailed justification to satisfy human rights and data protection laws, a report has warned.A centralised system for contact tracing, which it is thought the government may well choose, would result in “significantly greater interference with users’ privacy and require greater justification”, the report – given as a legal opinion – concludes. Continue reading... Go to Source

Sensor taps and no door handles: Covid-19 shows it's time to rethink public toilets Better building codes and some design innovation could greatly improve hygiene, experts saySign up for Guardian Australia’s daily coronavirus emailDownload the free Guardian app to get the most important news notificationsPublic health experts, designers and architects say the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed fundamental flaws in the design of public toilets that risk spreading a second wave of coronavirus, and possibly even new pandemics.The pandemic has sparked calls for the introduction of building codes and design innovation for all future structures to comply with infection control measures, with greater input from disease specialists in construction projects that often see the design stage as a ...

Ministers under fire as Covid-19 testing drops back below 100,000 daily target Care home testing ‘shambolic’ and home kits sent without return envelopesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMinisters face ongoing criticism over coronavirus testing, as the number of daily tests dropped below 80,000, care home staff reported difficulties in getting checked and home kits were delivered without return envelopes. Related: Is 100,000 tests a day an effective strategy against coronavirus? Continue reading... Go to Source

Work times could be staggered to help end lockdown, says Shapps Minister discusses ways to stop transport being overwhelmed during Covid-19 crisisCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageWork start times for the public could be staggered and one-way systems for commuters put in place to avoid overwhelming the transport system when lockdown restrictions are eventually eased, the transport secretary has said.Grant Shapps also suggested that the government was considering measures to encourage workers to take “active transport”: cycling or walking to work. Continue reading... Go to Source

NHS coronavirus crisis volunteers frustrated at lack of tasks Vast majority of 750,000 people who signed up to help are yet to be called into actionWhen ministers set out to recruit a 250,000-strong army of NHS volunteers and 750,000 signed up, it generated headlines around the world and was heralded by Boris Johnson as proof, contrary to Thatcher’s famous dictum, that there “was such thing as society”.Nearly a month on, however, and only 75,000 tasks had been logged by the end of last week, rising to 100,000 today - many of them repeat trips for the same household – leaving many volunteers confused or disgruntled that they have yet to be called upon. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: Russia and Afghanistan announce their biggest rises in cases UK PM says doctors had prepared to announce his death; Iran to reopen mosques on Monday; global cases near 3.5 million Boris Johnson: it was 50-50 whether to put me on ventilatorUK coronavirus updates - liveCoronavirus latest: at a glanceSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.48pm BSTVietnam has confirmed its first Coronavirus case in nine days, meaning its total now stands at 271. The country of 95 million locked down for more than a month but began to re-open in late April. To date it has not recorded any deaths caused by Covid-19. 12.36pm BSTPope Francis has called for international scientific cooperation to discover a vaccine for the coronavirus and said any successful vaccine should be made available ...

Self-isolating parents face weeks apart from vulnerable newborns Call for more coronavirus tests as families of premature and sick babies speak of anguishCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageParents of sick and premature newborn babies are facing days or weeks unable to visit them in hospital neonatal units because of Covid-19, the Guardian has learned.Disparities in hospital visiting guidance mean some parents have been unable to visit their babies at all, with one father saying he was facing three months without seeing his child. Continue reading... Go to Source

After Covid-19: How will a socially distanced high street actually work? With non-essential businesses still closed, retailers share their plans – and fears – for the future Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBritain’s once bustling high streets are now eerily quiet, with all non-essential shops closed and thousands of staff furloughed. Many may never reopen as the lockdown accelerates shifts to online shopping, while others will have to find ways to adapt to a radically different retail world of long-term social distancing rules and nervous customers afraid of catching the virus.The British Independent Retailers Association warned last week that one fifth of their members might close for good if footfall is low. Yet some of the big non-f...

Fearful Britons remain strongly opposed to lifting lockdown Just one in five want schools, pubs and restaurants to be reopened, according to new poll by Opinium• Coronavirus – latest updates• See all our coronavirus coverageFewer than one in five of the British public believe the time is right to consider reopening schools, restaurants, pubs and stadiums. The findings, in a new poll for the Observer, suggest Boris Johnson will struggle to convince people to return their lives to normal if he tries to ease the lockdown soon.The poll by Opinium, taken between Wednesday and Friday last week, found 17% of people think the conditions have been met to consider reopening schools, against 67% who say they have not been, and that they should stay closed. Continue reading... Go...

Coronavirus live news: Malaysia rounds up migrants as UN warns of crackdown on vulnerable Somalia reports rapid rise in Covid-19 deaths; 98 people die in one New York nursing home; Singapore eases restrictions as second wave subsidesEurope’s tourism industry faces ruinWhere did Covid-19 come from?Coronavirus latest: at a glanceSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.48am BST Related: Coronavirus latest: at a glance 12.40am BSTSomething to look forward to: The best tik tok I’ve seen pic.twitter.com/T7JVJ3xNKc Continue reading... Go to Source

Business leaders: extend furlough to avoid millions of job losses Rishi Sunak urged to offer ‘second wave’ of financial support to avoid mass unemployment and bankruptciesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe chancellor Rishi Sunak is under intense pressure this weekend to offer a massive “second wave” of financial support to businesses within weeks amid growing fears of a catastrophic early summer of spiralling unemployment and company bankruptcies.With the government’s £40bn job-retention scheme running until the end of June, business groups and the Labour party are demanding that Sunak extend the scheme as a matter of urgency to give an essential lifeline to the UK economy. Continue reading... Go to Source

Lack of PPE killed care home nurse who died of coronavirus, says her son Suzanne Loverseed ‘died as she lived: sacrificing herself for others’, says Ian O’Neal Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe son of a care home nurse who died after contracting Covid-19 has said a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) is what killed his mother, as the family were forced to say goodbye via an iPad.In an online tribute, Ian O’Neal described Suzanne Loverseed, 63, as a “lioness” who gave everything for her children. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus UK: how many confirmed cases are there in my area? Latest figures from public health authorities on the spread of Covid-19 in the United Kingdom. Find out how many confirmed cases have been reported near youCoronavirus - live news updatesFind all our coronavirus coverage hereHow to protect yourself from infectionPlease note: these are government figures on numbers of confirmed cases – some people who report symptoms are not being tested, and are not included in these counts. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: government insists it met 100,000 daily test target Follow all the day’s developments in the UK’s Covid-19 crisis, including reports of how lockdown may be easedCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.48pm BSTHarry Potter author JK Rowling has said she will donate £1m to be split between charities Refuge, which supports people experiencing domestic violence, and Crisis, which supports those who are homeless.Today's the 22nd anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts, but I'm going to be honest and say that it feels inappropriate to talk about fictional deaths today. Too many people are losing loved ones in the real world. 1/4So on this anniversary of a great wizarding victory, I'm thinking of the people who're out there doi...