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Birx declines to criticise Trump and warns distancing will last months Health expert says measures will be in place through summerUS needs ‘breakthrough in testing’ to speed up reopeningCoronavirus – latest US updatesCoronavirus – latest global updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDonald Trump’s coronavirus response coordinator, Dr Deborah Birx, has cautioned that social distancing measures are likely to stay in place throughout the summer, as she sought to downplay the president’s dangerous suggestion that injected disinfectant and ultraviolet light could play a role in the medical treatment of Covid-19. Related: How has the coronavirus transformed Spain? Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus response utterly hypocritical, says UN poverty expert Philip Alston says worst aspects of austerity policies ‘cannot and will not be undone’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe United Nations’ poverty expert Philip Alston has attacked the UK government’s coronavirus response as “utterly hypocritical” after successive administrations implemented policies of austerity and public-sector cuts.The UN rapporteur on extreme poverty, who in 2018 issued a blistering attack on Conservative welfare policy, also said that globally “the most vulnerable have been short-changed or excluded” by official responses to the disease, which had claimed over 203,670 lives by Sunday evening, according to Johns Hopki...

The key areas to look at in easing the UK coronavirus lockdown From schools to shops, with jobs at risk, the government must balance the interests of economy and public safetyCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAs the prime minister, Boris Johnson, heads back to Downing Street, he faces calls from Labour to be clearer about how Britain might start lifting the coronavirus lockdown, now entering its fifth week. On Sunday, the foreign secretary and first secretary of state, Dominic Raab, warned the outbreak remained at a “delicate and dangerous” stage and said it was irresponsible to speculate about steps to modify the rules underpinning government’s “stay home, protect the NHS, save lives” strategy.More than 20,000 people have di...

Attendees of Sage meetings worried by presence of Cummings Scientists on UK government’s coronavirus advisory group say Dominic Cummings was an active participantNo evidence No 10 advisers attended Sage in previous crisesNo 10 advisers at Sage: key questions that need answeringSee all our coronavirus coverageThe involvement of the prime minister’s chief political adviser, Dominic Cummings, in meetings of the scientific group advising the UK government’s response to the coronavirus has left other attendees shocked, concerned and worried for the impartiality of advice, the Guardian can reveal.One attendee of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said they felt Cummings’ interventions had sometimes inappropriately influenced what is supposed to be an ...

Coronavirus UK live: vaccine 'not likely to come to fruition this year', says Raab Foreign secretary says speculating on how to ease lockdown is not responsible; home testing kits for key workers run out within hours for third day; Boris Johnson to return to work on MondayJohnson faces lockdown dilemma as scientists warn over grim virus dataRaab warns of risk of ‘second spike’ in coronavirus outbreakCoronavirus – latest global updatesCoronavirus latest: at a glanceSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.14pm BSTMore than 1,250 British travellers in Bangladesh are to be brought back to the UK after the government chartered a further five repatriation flights amid the coronavirus pandemic, PA reports.Flights from Dhaka to London will take place between April 29 and May 7 and...

Only half of UK's sickest coronavirus patients put on ventilators Evidence grows that many Covid-19 patients do better with non-invasive helpCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageOnly about half of the sickest Covid-19 patients, admitted to intensive care struggling to breathe, are being put on mechanical ventilators, it has emerged, as evidence grows that many do better with non-invasive help.The rush to increaase the number of ventilators in Britain from 8,000 to 18,000 was a response to early assumptions that intubation was the only way to save the lives of those who became severely ill. Industry was urged to switch production, with Dyson among those companies volunteering to help – and has now been told by the government its services are not needed....

Coronavirus live news: Spain's daily death toll drops below 300 as children allowed out for first time in weeks Trump steps back from briefings; global deaths pass 200,000; Russia case tally passes 80,000; Sweden’s deputy prime-minster admits problems with strategy; Boris Johnson to return to work on MondayTrump says briefings ‘not worth the effort’ after disinfectant debacleGlobal report: death toll passes 200,000Coronavirus latest: at a glanceSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.37pm BSTHundreds of textile workers have taken to the streets of Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka to demand wages lost during the coronavirus crisis.Reuters reports that Bangladesh, which is the second-largest apparel producer after China, is set to lose export revenue of about $6bn this fisca...

Coronavirus: French PM to set out road to normality, restrictions ease in Australia Western Australia and Queensland cautiously loosen social distancing rules, while Beijing bans ‘uncivilised’ behaviourCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe French prime minister, Edouard Philippe, will present the national strategy for emerging from the coronavirus lockdown to the French parliament on Tuesday, his office has announced.The pandemic has killed 22,614 people in France since the start of March, with officials on Saturday reporting 369 new deaths in the previous 24 hours. The global death toll from the novel coronavirus pandemic passed 200,000 on Sunday. Continue reading... Go to Source

Children unlikely to transmit coronavirus, says study cited in PM's push to reopen schools NSW report held up as Morrison government seeks return to classrooms across Australia despite warnings from teacher unionsSign up for Guardian Australia’s daily coronavirus emailDownload the free Guardian app to get the most important news notificationsA new report, cited by the chief medical officer as the federal government advocates the reopening of schools, says children are unlikely to transmit Covid-19 between each other or to adults.The study by NSW Health’s Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS), released on Sunday, examined transmission of the virus in NSW schools and childcare centres between March and mid-April. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: Trump steps back from briefings as global deaths pass 200,000 Boris Johnson to return to work on Monday; Kim Jong-un’s train possibly spotted at North Korean resort; global infections near 2.9m. Follow the latest updatesTrump says briefings ‘not worth the effort’ after disinfectant debacleGlobal report: death toll passes 200,000Coronavirus latest: at a glanceAustralia coronavirus updates – liveSee all our coronavirus coverage 6.43am BSTSingapore is rapidly building bed space for coronavirus patients in cavernous exhibition halls and other temporary facilities as it faces a surge in cases, mainly among its large community of low-paid migrant workers.The tiny city-state of 5.7 million people has over 12,000 confirmed infections of the virus t...

Johnson faces lockdown dilemma as scientists warn over grim virus data Prime minister returns to work on Monday to cabinet at odds over easing social distancingCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe number of new cases of Covid-19 being diagnosed is still much too high to allow any easing of the lockdown soon, leading scientists have warned, as the virus death toll in UK hospitals passed 20,000 on Saturday.The home secretary, Priti Patel, described the figure as a “terrible milestone” and a “deeply tragic and moving moment”. She said it showed the need for the British public to “stay strong” and remain at home for the foreseeable future. Continue reading... Go to Source

Top Tories join calls to bar Cummings from scientific advisory group Cross-party demand for transparency after chief adviser is revealed as attending meetings of SageBoris Johnson is facing cross-party calls to stop his chief adviser from attending meetings of the secret scientific group advising him on the coronavirus pandemic, as demands grow for the committee’s deliberations to be made public.The former Brexit secretary, David Davis, is among those calling for Dominic Cummings and Ben Warner, an adviser who ran the Tories’ private election computer model, to be prevented from attending future meetings of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage). Continue reading... Go to Source

Trump says briefings 'not worth the effort' amid fallout from disinfectant comments The president remained behind closed doors after advisers reportedly warned him that the briefings were hurting his campaignAfter more than a month of near-daily White House coronavirus press briefings, Donald Trump stayed behind closed doors on Saturday after advisers reportedly warned the president that his appearances were hurting his campaign.Trump himself referenced his absence when he wrote on Twitter that the briefings are “not worth the time & effort”. The president wrote the tweet on Saturday evening, when he would usually be taking the podium to address journalists. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: global death toll passes 200,000 Global death toll passes 200,000 as it is announced UK prime minister set to return to work on MondayBoris Johnson faces lockdown dilemma as scientists warn over data Global report: death toll passes 200,000Coronavirus latest: at a glanceUS coronavirus updates – liveSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.46am BSTMike Coupe is preparing to deliver Sainsbury’s annual results on Thursday, his last presentation to investors as head of Britain’s second biggest supermarket chain. After almost six years at the top, the 59-year-old is retiring on 31 May, and will hand over to Simon Roberts, the group’s retail and operations director. Related: Sainsbury’s top man steps down just as the panic-buying revenues roll i...

Coronavirus UK: 'entire nation is grieving' says Priti Patel as death tolls passes 20,000 Grim milestone comes almost six weeks after chief scientific adviser said keeping toll under that number would be ‘a good outcome in terms of where we would hope to get’Coronavirus – latest global updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageRevealed: Cummings is on secret scientific advisory group for Covid-19Case for transparency over Sage has never been clearer 5.28pm BSTAs ever, thank you to everybody who got in touch throughout the day with tips and suggestions. That’s it for today from us on the UK side, but you can continue to follow the Guardian’s coverage of the pandemic over on the global live blog. Related: Coronavirus live news: ‘No evidence’ you can&...

Debacle of Trump's coronavirus disinfectant comments could be tipping point The US president plans to ‘pare back’ his daily coronavirus briefings after falsely claiming his suggestion to ingest cleaning products had been ‘sarcastic’Coronavirus – latest US updatesCoronavirus – latest global updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageFor Donald Trump, it was the strangest and most news-making thing he could have done: instead of taking questions from journalists, dominating the nation’s airwaves yet again, the US president gave a short pre-written statement and then stalked off the stage. Related: Three months and 50,000 deaths: the defining Covid-19 moments in the US – timeline Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus tests for key workers in England run out quickly for second day Home-testing kits unavailable 15 minutes after website opens and drive-through slots booked up within hourCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageCoronavirus tests for key workers through the government’s new booking website have run out quickly in England for a second consecutive day.More than 10 million key workers and their households are eligible for Covid-19 tests as the government attempts to deliver its pledge of 100,000 tests a day by Thursday, but home-testing kits for people across the UK and slots to visit testing centres in England and Northern Ireland were quickly taken up on Saturday morning. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: ‘No evidence’ you can’t get Covid-19 twice, says WHO Greece prepares to end lockdown; Bill Gates vows to fund vaccine production; Australia and New Zealand mark Anzac Day from drivewaysLeader of group peddling bleach as ‘cure’ wrote to Trump this weekGlobal report: Sweden queries lockdowns as Germany keeps guard upCoronavirus latest: at a glanceUS coronavirus updates – liveSee all our coronavirus coverage 6.14pm BSTIf you’re only just joining us – here is a recap of the biggest global developments in the coronavirus pandemic as of 6pm on Saturday. Related: Coronavirus latest: at a glance 6.05pm BSTWhile we may not yet be at the point of having a tried-and-tested vaccine against the novel coronavirus, experts say that governments mus...

Bar Dominic Cummings from Sage meetings, Labour urges Party raises concerns independence of group advising ministers on coronavirus has been compromisedCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageLabour has urged the government to stop the prime minister’s chief political adviser, Dominic Cummings, from attending meetings of the secret scientific group advising on the coronavirus pandemic over concerns that its independence has been compromised.A leaked list revealed by the Guardian shows that both Cummings and a data scientist said to have worked on the Vote Leave campaign, Ben Warner, were among 23 attendees present at a meeting of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) on the day Boris Johnson announced a nationwide lockdown. Continue reading...

Coronavirus UK: test slots run out for second day running – latest updates Questions over independence of Sage group come as UK death toll nears 20,000 Coronavirus – latest global updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageRevealed: Cummings is on secret scientific advisory group for Covid-19Case for transparency over Sage has never been clearer 12.50pm BSTIn case you missed it, here is the exclusive story from the Guardian’s environment editor Damian Carrington that coronavirus has been detected on particles of air pollution by scientists investigating whether this could enable infections at longer distances.The research is still in its infancy but other research has indicated correlations between increased Covid-19 deaths and higher levels of air pollution before the pandemic....

Revealed: leader of group peddling bleach as coronavirus 'cure' wrote to Trump this week Mark Grenon wrote to Trump saying chlorine dioxide ‘can rid the body of Covid-19’ days before the president promoted disinfectant as treatmentCoronavirus – latest US updatesCoronavirus – latest global updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe leader of the most prominent group in the US peddling potentially lethal industrial bleach as a “miracle cure” for coronavirus wrote to Donald Trump at the White House this week.In his letter, Mark Grenon told Trump that chlorine dioxide – a powerful bleach used in industrial processes such as textile manufacturing that can have fatal side-effects when drunk – is “a wonderful detox that can kill 99% of the ...

England campaign targets seriously ill patients avoiding hospitals Campaign will urge people with serious non-coronavirus-related conditions to seek help Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA government campaign has been launched to encourage people who are seriously ill with non-coronavirus conditions such as heart attacks to seek help amid concerns some are avoiding hospitals.The campaign, which will be rolled out next week, aims to encourage people to use vital services – such as cancer screening and care, maternity appointments and mental health support – as they usually would.The NHS chief executive, Sir Simon Stevens, said delays in getting treatment posed a long-term risk to people’s health. Continue reading... Go to Source

Are female leaders more successful at managing the coronavirus crisis? Plenty of countries with male leaders have also done well. But few with female leaders have done badlyCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageOn 1 April, the prime minister of Sint Maarten addressed her nation’s 41,500 people. Coronavirus cases were rising, and Silveria Jacobs knew the small island country, which welcomes 500,000 tourists a year, was at great risk: it had two ICU beds.Jacobs did not want to impose a strict lockdown, but she did want physical distancing observed. So she spelled it out: “Simply. Stop. Moving,” she said. “If you don’t have the bread you like in your house, eat crackers. Eat cereal. Eat oats. Eat … sardines.” Continue r...

Revealed: Dominic Cummings on secret scientific advisory group for Covid-19 Exclusive: Leaked list reveals presence of Johnson adviser and Vote Leave ally on supposedly independent bodyWho’s who on Sage?Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe prime minister’s chief political adviser, Dominic Cummings, and a data scientist he worked with on the Vote Leave campaign for Brexit are on the secret scientific group advising the government on the coronavirus pandemic, according to a list leaked to the Guardian.It reveals both Cummings and Ben Warner were among 23 attendees present at a crucial convening of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) on 23 March, the day Boris Johnson announced a nationwide lockdown in a televised address. Conti...

Revealed: UK ministers were warned last year of risks of coronavirus pandemic Briefing, which recommended stockpiling PPE among other measures, intensifies focus on No 10’s handling of outbreakLeaked briefing on UK pandemic threat – key pointsWhat report tells us about UK’s preparationsSee all our coronavirus coverageMinisters were warned last year the UK must have a robust plan to deal with a pandemic virus and its potentially catastrophic social and economic consequences in a confidential Cabinet Office briefing leaked to the Guardian.The detailed document warned that even a mild pandemic could cost tens of thousands of lives, and set out the must-have “capability requirements” to mitigate the risks to the country, as well as the potential damage of not d...

Coronavirus detected on particles of air pollution Exclusive: Scientists examine whether this route enables infections at longer distancesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageCoronavirus has been detected on particles of air pollution by scientists investigating whether this could enable it to be carried over longer distances and increase the number of people infected.The work is preliminary and it is not yet known if the virus remains viable on pollution particles and in sufficient quantity to cause disease. Continue reading... Go to Source

Revealed: 'former Vodafone executive' in 5G conspiracy video is UK pastor Jonathon James is previously unidentified individual who reached millions with false claims about Covid-19Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA recording spread around the world at the end of March, purportedly featuring a former Vodafone executive claiming to let the public in on a secret that the coronavirus pandemic is cover for a global plot to install 5G mobile phone masts, track the world’s population through vaccines, and then destroy human society as we know it.In reality, the Guardian can reveal, the voice on the tape making the baseless claims is an evangelical pastor from Luton who recently tried to convince Zimbabweans to use cryptocurrency in their economy. Continue...

‘Please don’t inject bleach’: Trump’s wild coronavirus claims prompt disbelief During Thursday’s coronavirus briefing the president floated the idea of ‘an injection inside’ – and medical doctors were quick to denounce itCoronavirus – live US updatesLive global updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDonald Trump had barely distanced himself from statements that malaria treatment could cure the coronavirus before he had moved on to another, even more unorthodox suggestion.On Thursday night White House officials shared pretty predictable findings: that sunlight and common cleaning supplies can kill a virus within minutes when applied to different surfaces. But then the president had to take it to another level. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: officials apologise after key workers denied tests on day one of Hancock scheme Applications closed and home tests run out; Scotland death toll rises; TfL to furlough 7,000 workers Government apologises as problems hit new coronavirus tests schemeBoris Johnson sounds incredible and ready to go, says TrumpRoyal Navy submarine captain charged over lockdown ‘rave barbecue’Coronavirus – latest global updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.51pm BSTThe Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford, has published a framework to help determine when Wales will begin to relax lockdown restrictions and learn to “live and work alongside coronavirus”.The move echoes similar steps taken by the Scottish government on Thursday, when the first minister Nicol...

Coronavirus live news: experts reject Trump's 'disinfectant' theory as Ramadan begins Doctors call president’s comments ‘jaw-dropping’ and dangerous; Algeria, Egypt, UAE shorten ease restrictions for Ramadan, Indonesia increases them; Follow the latest updates First trial for potential Covid-19 drug shows it has no effectUS unemployment applications reach over 26mAt a glance – latest developmentsUS - live coronavirus coverageAustralia - live coronavirus coverageSee all our coronavirus coverage 6.55am BSTThe Alpine ski resort of Ischgl, at the centre of Austria’s biggest cluster of coronavirus infections, has said it wants to move away from “party tourism” as it emerged from more than a month under quarantine.Ischgl is near the point where Austri...