News- UK

Coronavirus: England and Wales care home deaths quadruple in a week More than 1,000 die in week before Easter, with private homes deaths more than tripling Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageCovid-19 fatalities in care homes in England and Wales have more than quadrupled in a week, rising to 1,043, according to the latest official figures.By 10 April, more than 1,000 people were confirmed to to have died in care homes from the virus, up from 217, the previous week. The number of people who died in private homes also more than tripled, to 466. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: Trump signals immigration ban as WHO says worst of crisis still to come President to sign temporary executive order ‘in light of attack from Invisible Enemy’; US oil market collapses into negative prices; global cases near 2.5 million. Follow the latest updatesUS oil prices dip below zero for first time on recordUS scuppers G20 coronavirus statement on strengthening WHOAustralia coronavirus liveCoronavirus latest: at a glanceSee all our coronavirus coverage 6.56am BSTIndonesia has banned an annual homecoming where tens of millions of people travel to see their families for Eid-al-Fitr, fearing the mass exodus could accelerate the spread of coronavirus across the country.It is not clear how the rule will be enforced, or how many people have already emba...

Cabinet split as experts warn: don't ease Covid lockdown too soon Ministers weigh fears of fresh coronavirus wave against impact of shutdown on economyCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAny relaxation of lockdown measures could trigger an exponential rise in coronavirus cases, government scientific advisers have warned ministers amid a cabinet split about how quickly to ease restrictions.Epidemics of infectious diseases behave in different ways but the 1918 influenza pandemic that killed more than 50 million people is regarded as a key example of a pandemic that occurred in multiple waves, with the latter more severe than the first. It has been replicated – albeit more mildly – in subsequent flu pandemics. Continue reading... Go to...

Coronavirus live news: US oil market collapses into negative prices Italy’s confirmed cases fall for first time; WHO says nothing was hidden from US; Spain proposes €1.5tn EU Covid-19 fund; US blocks pro-WHO statement by G20US oil prices dip below zero for first time on recordUS scuppers G20 coronavirus statement on strengthening WHOUS coronavirus - latest updatesCoronavirus latest: at a glanceSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.54am BSTWe’ve fired up a new blog at the link below – follow me there for the latest updates: Related: Coronavirus live news: Trump downplays oil crash as 'short term' 12.25am BSTThe US president ended today’s briefing citing a range of different numbers for the potential deaths the US could have experienced, saying if the country ...

Liverpool v Atlético virus links 'interesting hypothesis', says government scientist Madrid in partial lockdown when 3,000 fans travelledAngela McLean says relationship should be exploredLinks between the outbreak of coronavirus in Liverpool and the Champions League tie at Anfield attended by more than 3,000 Atlético Madrid supporters should be explored, a government scientist acknowledged on Monday.Supporters travelled from Madrid to attend the game on 11 March when Spain’s capital was already implementing a partial lockdown. This month Liverpool city council’s director of public health, Matthew Ashton, told the Guardian the fixture should have been called off, and at the weekend the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, said it was a “mist...

RAF plane sent to pressure Turkey to release gowns for NHS UK government makes desperate move to force export of PPE it promised for SundayCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe British government reacted desperately to delays in securing urgently needed supplies of personal protective equipment from Turkey on Monday evening, dispatching an RAF plane in an attempt to force Ankara to release them.The plane, one of three that have been waiting to be dispatched to pick up the shipment of 400,000 protective gowns for NHS staff, took off from RAF Brize Norton on Monday despite earlier ministerial assurances that the matter was on the brink of being resolved. Continue reading... Go to Source

140,000 UK companies apply for coronavirus job furlough scheme Fears that system would be overwhelmed seem unfounded as launch goes smoothlyCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMore than 140,000 companies employing a total of a million workers have applied to the government’s job furlough scheme on its first day of operation, the chancellor has announced.The scheme allows employers to lay employees off temporarily and claim up to 80% of their salaries, to a maximum of £2,500 a month, and is designed to encourage businesses to avoid making redundancies. Continue reading... Go to Source

RAF planes await order to set off to collect PPE from Turkey Shipment of personal protective equipment for NHS was meant to arrive on Sunday Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThree RAF planes waiting to pick up a shipment of 400,000 protective gowns and other equipment urgently needed for the NHS remain on the tarmac at Brize Norton because the kit has yet to be released by Turkey.With the aircraft yet to begin the near five-hour flight to Istanbul, the equipment will not now arrive in the UK until Tuesday morning at the earliest. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: Italy's confirmed cases fall for first time; WHO says nothing was hidden from US Spain proposes €1.5tn EU Covid-19 fund; US blocks pro-WHO statement by G20; Trump backs anti-lockdown protesters; deaths in Italy and Spain fallUS scuppers G20 coronavirus statement on strengthening WHOQ&A: Will there be a second wave of coronavirus?US coronavirus - latest updatesCoronavirus latest: at a glanceSee all our coronavirus coverage 6.50pm BSTThe World Health Organization insisted Monday that it sounded the alarm on the novel coronavirus right from the very start and had hidden nothing from Washington about the deadly pandemic.WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there were no secrets at the UN agency after facing scathing criticism from Washington, which has a...

Air pollution may be ‘key contributor’ to Covid-19 deaths – study Research shows almost 80% of deaths across four countries were in most polluted regionsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageHigh levels of air pollution may be “one of the most important contributors” to deaths from Covid-19, according to research.The analysis shows that of the coronavirus deaths across 66 administrative regions in Italy, Spain, France and Germany, 78% of them occurred in just five regions, and these were the most polluted. Continue reading... Go to Source

On the frontline: meet the NHS workers tackling coronavirus From emergency arrivals to critical care, photojournalist Jonny Weeks was given extraordinary access to University hospital in Coventry to document the Covid-19 pandemic. This photo essay captures the contributions of those who save our lives“We’re used to death – death is part of life in intensive care – but not in the kind of numbers that we’re seeing, and that’s really quite hard to take,” says Tom Billyard, a consultant at University hospital in Coventry, as he reflects on the unprecedented challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.In preparation for his latest 12-hour shift in ITU, where the worst affected patients are given life support, Billyard begins to don several layers of personal...

UK coronavirus live: Boris Johnson 'very concerned' about second wave of infections if lockdown lifted too soon Anger mounts over PPE shortages; culture secretary says official minute’s silence for NHS workers killed by virus ‘a very good idea’Furlough scheme opens amid fear of ‘flood’ of claims Six points of criticism: government’s flailing coronavirus responseCoronavirus: latest developments at a glanceCoronavirus – latest global updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.27pm BST 12.24pm BSTSir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, has restated his call for the government to give more details about its coronavirus exit strategy. He made that point in a briefing with Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, this morning also involving other opposition ...

US scuppers G20 coronavirus statement on strengthening WHO Exclusive: objections leave health ministers unable to agree joint communique on cooperation Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageUS hostility to the World Health Organization scuppered the publication of a communique by G20 health ministers on Sunday that committed to strengthening the WHO’s mandate in coordinating a response to the global coronavirus pandemic.In place of a lengthy statement with paragraphs of detail, the leaders instead issued a brief statement saying that gaps existed in the way the world handled pandemics. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: Trump backs lockdown protesters as New Zealand prepares to ease restrictions Trump says ‘some governors have gone too far’; deaths in Italy and Spain fall; Iran to extend prisoner leave for another month. Follow latest updatesTrump making ‘delusional’ comments – US governorsUK care homes body estimates 4,000 residents died from coronavirusAustralia coronavirus updates – liveUS coronavirus updates – liveSee all our coronavirus coverage 6.33am BSTAs I mentioned earlier, US oil prices dipped to a 20-year low as deep concerns about the economic impact of the coronavirus continue. You can read Martin Farrer’s global wrap of events below:Oil prices have slumped to their lowest for two decades as doubts grew about Donald Tr...

Oil prices sink to 20-year low as UN sounds alarm on Covid-19 relief fund US crude dipped below $15 as Trump battled states over economy and UN warned it has only a quarter of its requested coronavirus fundingCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageOil prices have slumped to their lowest for two decades as doubts grew about Donald Trump’s hopes of ending the US lockdown and investors braced for a week of potentially damaging figures about the impact of the coronavirus on the world economy.The price of US crude oil plunged almost 20%, to below $15, in early trading on Monday – its lowest point since 1999 – as stockpiles continued to build owing to a crash in demand caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Continue reading... Go to Source

'People have been awakened': seeking Covid-19 answers in Wuhan Residents are looking for an explanation from the government about its handling of coronavirusCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIn early January, Hu Aizhen, 65, heard that a new coronavirus had emerged in her home city, Wuhan. She was not worried – officials said it was not contagious – so she went about her days as usual and prepared for the lunar new year at the end of the month.Just before the city was put under lockdown, Hu developed pneumonia symptoms. After days of waiting and searching for a hospital, she was tested for the virus. Her result was negative, but tests at the time were known to be inaccurate and she showed obvious signs of the virus. Nevertheless, she was refuse...

Trump plays misleading clips of 'support' from Cuomo at coronavirus briefing US president accused of going into campaign mode after showing selectively edited videos containing praise by one of his most trenchant criticsLive global updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDonald Trump has been accused of using another White House coronavirus task force briefing to broadcast a “campaign ad” in which New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, one of his most trenchant critics, appeared to shower him with praise.The US president dimmed the lights and played two selectively edited videos on screens behind the briefing room podium featuring Cuomo, whose state has been hardest hit by the deadly pandemic. Continue reading... Go to Source

BBC's Covid-19 reporters: 'I wanted to show the reality but was deeply troubled by what I saw’ Fergus Walsh and Hugh Pym’s reports from the frontline of beleaguered British hospitals are drawing nightly audiences of around 12.8 millionCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageWhen it comes to epidemics, Fergus Walsh, the BBC’s medical correspondent for the past 14 years, is something of a veteran. “I reported from Vietnam in 2005 on H5N1 bird flu,” he says. “Then, in 2009, we had H1N1 swine flu. That disease killed a lot of people, but it also turned out to be comparatively mild. Though there had been concern that the next big pandemic was coming, swine flu lulled a lot of the world into a false sense of security. Still, the warning ...

Hospital leaders hit out at government as PPE shortage row escalates Health managers in England voice ‘intense frustration’ in unprecedented interventionCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageHospital leaders have directly attacked the government for the first time during the coronavirus crisis over the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) after a desperately needed consignment of surgical gowns that had been announced by ministers failed to arrive.In an unprecedented intervention, which hospital leaders privately say is the result of “intense frustration and exasperation”, the organisations representing NHS trusts in England urged ministers to “just focus on what we can be certain of” after weeks of “bitter...

PM Boris Johnson was ‘missing in action’ during early phase of pandemic, claims Labour Shortages of PPE set to continue and testing behind schedule after Gove admits Johnson missed key Cobra meetingsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson’s government has come under pressure to defend its handling of the coronavirus pandemic after Michael Gove was forced to admit that the prime minister had missed five key emergency meetings when the crisis first hit.With ministers warning that shortages of protective medical gear could continue, test rates remaining stubbornly low and the hospital death toll rising on Sunday to 16,060, some Conservative MPs have expressed private concern that Downing Street does not have a strong grip on the crisis. Continu...

Coronavirus live news: US deaths pass 40,000 as Italy records lowest fatalities in a week Trump criticises China and WHO over pandemic; death rates in Spain and Netherlands fall; Iran to extend prisoner leave for another month. Follow latest updatesTrump making ‘delusional’ comments – US governorsUK care homes body estimates 4,000 residents died from coronavirusAustralia coronavirus updates – liveUS coronavirus updates – liveSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.55am BSTThings are really going downhill at the White House briefing. CNN’s reporter has just asked Trump if he was duped by President Xi on the virus. “You people are so pathetic at CNN” is Trump’s response. In terms of actual news from this press conference, the top line seem...

Impossible for UK to meet Covid-19 testing targets, scientists say Government’s 100,000-a-day pledge was only designed to be a headline grabber, claim scepticsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe government’s target of carrying out 100,000 Covid-19 tests each day by the end of the month has come under criticism from senior scientists, who say it will be impossible to reach.Experts told the Guardian that a “macho” focus on headline-grabbing figures had been pursued at the expense of rigorous science. Continue reading... Go to Source

Boris Johnson missed five coronavirus Cobra meetings, Michael Gove says PM missed string of emergency meetings in buildup to crisis, minister concedesUK coronavirus updates – liveCoronavirus – global updatesAll our coronavirus coverageMichael Gove has conceded that Boris Johnson missed five consecutive emergency meetings in the buildup to the coronavirus crisis, and that the UK shipped protective equipment to China in February.The government faced intense pressure on Sunday over its initial response to the pandemic, as Labour accused Johnson of having been “missing in action” during the crucial weeks when the virus first arrived in the UK. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: Europe fatalities approach 100,000 as China reports no daily deaths Trump warns of consequences if China was ‘knowingly responsible’ for virus; Spanish PM seeks lockdown extension. Follow the latest updatesTrump warns China as Europe’s death toll approaches 100,000Don’t bet on vaccine to protect us, says world health expertHow countries around the world are preparing for life after Covid-19Coronavirus latest: at a glanceAustralia coronavirus updates – liveSee all our coronavirus coverage 6.45am BSTNew Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has also asked Kiwis to keep a diary of their daily movements, AAP reports. Ms Ardern believes the homespun idea could help the country’s contact-tracers with their work.“I would ask New ...

Don’t bet on vaccine to protect us from Covid-19, says world health expert Professor of global health at Imperial College, London warns we ‘may have to adapt’ to virusCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageHumanity will have to live with the threat of coronavirus “for the foreseeable future” and adapt accordingly because there is no guarantee that a vaccine can be successfully developed, one of the world’s leading experts on the disease has warned.The stark message was delivered by David Nabarro, professor of global health at Imperial College, London, and an envoy for the World Health Organisation on Covid-19, as the number of UK hospital deaths from the virus passed 15,000. Continue reading... Go to Source

How did Britain get its response to coronavirus so wrong? As the warnings grew louder, the government was distracted by Brexit. On testing, contact tracing and equipment supply, there was a failure to prepare Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBy late December last year, doctors in the central Chinese city of Wuhan were starting to worry about patients quarantined in their hospitals suffering from an unusual type of pneumonia.As the mystery illness spread in one of China’s major industrial hubs, some tried to warn their colleagues to take extra care at work, because the disease resembled Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome), the deadly respiratory disease that had killed hundreds of people across the region in 2002-03 after a government cover-up....

Coronavirus live news: Europe deaths approach 100,000 as US looks to lift restrictions Trump says he doesn’t believe China and Iran death tolls; Spanish PM to ask for lockdown extension; Ireland ‘flattens curve’. Follow the latest updatesDon’t bet on vaccine to protect us, says world health expertHow countries around the world are preparing for life after Covid-19Coronavirus latest: at a glanceAustralia coronavirus updates – liveSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.45am BSTIreland has successfully “flattened the curve” of coronavirus transmission and no longer expects a peak in infections, chief medical officer Tony Holohan said. “We think we’ve flattened that [...] curve so much that there is no peak,” he said on RTE’s La...

Watch live! Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Rolling Stones to appear in global event to support frontline health workers One World: Together At Home is a global event featuring dozens of artists and comedians to support frontline healthcare workers and the WHO during the Covid-19 pandemicLost on the frontline: why we’re tracking every US health worker who dies from coronavirusThis event is produced by Global Citizen and the World Health Organization and curated in collaboration with Lady Gaga. Read more about the show here. The Guardian will be streaming the first six hours today starting at 2pm ET. Stars appearing in the earlier part of the show include John Legend, Megan Rapinoe, the Killers, Samuel L Jackson, Jameela Jamil, Jennifer Hudson and many more.This week the Guardian and Kaiser ...

PPE including gowns and masks running out, admits UK government 400,000 gowns arriving in UK on Sunday, as unions warn frontline staff may walk out over shortagesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe government has accepted that some personal protective equipment (PPE) is in short supply and promised that a large consignment, including 400,000 gowns – , is due to arrive in the UK from Turkey on Sunday.On Saturday, unions and professional bodies said that NHS staff may refuse to work if there was not enough PPE to ensure their safety, in response to new guidance from Public Health England (PHE), revealed by the Guardian on Friday, which instructs healthcare workers to reuse disposable PPE. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: NHS frontline staff may walk out over lack of PPE, says union Surveys reveal medics’ concerns about pressures to work without protection. Follow this and all the day’s developments in the UK’s Covid-19 crisisFrontline staff may refuse to work over lack of PPE, says unionNHS staff told: treat Covid-19 patients without gownsCoronavirus latest: at a glanceCoronavirus – latest global updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.26pm BST 12.22pm BSTHundreds of Britons stuck in Bangladesh will be repatriated after the government chartered four flights as part of a new push to to bring more than 7,000 UK citizens home from South Asia.Those deemed most at risk from coronavirus, such as the sick and elderly, will be given priority, the Foreign and Commo...