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Coronavirus live news: US accused of 'dereliction of duty' as deaths in Spain top 20,000 China pushes ‘comprehensive’ economic reopening; first virus case in Syria’s northeast; Germany says pandemic ‘under control’. Follow latest updatesUK medics told ‘wear aprons’ as protective gowns run outCoronavirus ‘under control’ in Germany Coronavirus latest: at a glanceUS coronavirus updates – liveAustralia coronavirus updates – liveSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.55pm BSTHere are a few of the most poignant pieces of coronavirus photojournalism from around the world today. 12.50pm BSTIn Switzerland, 27,404 people have now tested positive for coronavirus, up from 27,078 a day earlier. The death toll has also risen to 1,111 fro...

Caught in a superpower struggle: the inside story of the WHO's response to coronavirus Caught between the US and China, the world health body has been unable to enforce compliance or information sharing Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageWhen a pandemic strikes, the world’s leading experts convene – physically or virtually – in a hi-tech chamber in the basement of the Geneva headquarters of the World Health Organization.It is called the “strategic health operations centre”, or SHOC, an appropriately urgent acronym for a place where life and death decisions are taken, and it is where critical choices were made in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak. Continue reading... Go to Source

Thousands of Americans backed by rightwing donors gear up for protests Conservative activists to demand governors lift stay-home orders – and movement has been driven by wealthy conservative groupsThousands of people are preparing to attend protests across the US in the coming days, as a rightwing movement against stay-at-home orders, backed by wealthy conservative groups and promoted by Donald Trump, continues to take hold. Related: Your life has changed for the worse, and admitting it can help you cope | Nyadol Nyuon Continue reading... Go to Source

NHS staff asked to treat coronavirus patients without gowns Exclusive: Hospitals across England to run out of supplies of the protective garments within hoursCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageNHS bosses have asked doctors and nurses to work without protective full-length gowns when treating Covid-19 patients, as hospitals came within hours of running out of supplies.The guidance is a reversal of Public Health England (PHE) guidelines stipulating that full-length waterproof surgical gowns, designed to stop coronavirus droplets getting into someone’s mouth or nose, should be worn for all high-risk hospital procedures. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: nearly 100,000 EU citizens remain stranded overseas due to pandemic China denies cover-up as Wuhan death toll revised up by 50%; Brazil’s president fires health ministerVirus ‘under control’ in Germany, as some countries plan to relax lockdownCoronavirus latest: at a glanceUK coronavirus updates – liveUS coronavirus updates – liveSee all of our coronavirus coverage 6.37pm BSTThe total death toll from the coronavirus in France rises to 18,681 on Friday from 17,920, Reuters reports.The death toll in hospitals rises to 11,478 from 11,060, while the death toll in nursing homes rises to 7,203 from 6,860 on Thursday. 6.29pm BSTHere’s a video of lions and other wild animals relaxing in South Africa golf club during lockdown as visitors...

New UK taskforce to help develop and roll out coronavirus vaccine Government bodies, industry and charities to collaborate in research effortsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageCoronavirus vaccine – when will we have one?The government has announced a new vaccines taskforce to help the development of a vaccine for Covid-19 and ensure its rapid production and rollout if one arrives.The business secretary, Alok Sharma, also gave details of cash grants for work into both vaccines and potential treatments. Among the projects receiving cash is one led by Public Health England (PHE), which hopes to develop an antibody drug, something that has the potential to work as both a prophylactic and a treatment for those infected. Continue reading... Go to Sourc...

Boris Johnson and coronavirus: the inside story of his illness Saga of rumours, denials and admissions took the nation on an emotional rollercoasterCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe rumours began a week after Boris Johnson began self-isolating in the flat above No 11 Downing Street. The story, spread by the prime minister and his aides, had thus far been reassuring.Yes, he had Covid-19. But the symptoms were nothing to worry about. Mild even. And at a time when deaths from the pandemic were continuing to climb, Johnson had a firm grip on the crisis and the machinery of power. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus UK live: Hancock unable to promise MPs some hospitals won’t run out of gowns this weekend Health secretary takes questions from Commons committee; further 58 deaths in Scotland brings total to 837Coronavirus latest: at a glanceWorld’s biggest trials of drug to treat Covid-19 get under way in UKSadiq Khan: make face masks compulsory on London transportCoronavirus – latest global updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.47pm BSTThe government should allow people resilient to the coronavirus – the young, fit, slim, and non-smokers – to return to work to build-up herd immunity, and save the economy, according to two leading vets. Ministers should abandon their “financially ruinous” strategy to contain the pandemic and only keep the 40% of th...

Coronavirus live news: Trump says 29 states could reopen 'relatively soon' as global deaths near 145,000 Brazil’s president fires health minister; IMF predicts zero growth in Latin America and Caribbean for decade to 2025; UK extends lockdown by three weeks. Follow the latest updates. Coronavirus latest: at a glanceAustralia coronavirus updates – liveSee all of our coronavirus coverage 12.53am BSTThe International Monetary Fund on Thursday said the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, combined with other problems in recent years, meant Latin America and the Caribbean would likely see “no growth” in the decade from 2015 to 2025.Alejandro Werner, who heads the IMF’s Western Hemisphere department, said the global lender was racing to process 16 reques...

Doctors, nurses, porters, volunteers: the UK health workers who have died from Covid-19 We are launching a project to remember those who lost their lives working in hospitals, surgeries and care homes during the coronavirus outbreakA number of NHS and private healthcare staff, from heart surgeons to nurses, porters and volunteers, have sadly lost their lives to the coronavirus in the UK.The government says there have been 27 verified deaths of NHS staff during the pandemic, but others have also died. The Guardian has recorded 50 deaths that have been reported in the news, although the true scale of those who lost their lives is likely to be higher, as not all deaths will be in the public domain. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK flies home 1,000 Britons but leaves 65,000 in limbo during pandemic UK has chartered just six flights via an EU scheme compared with 101 fights bringing home German nationalsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageFour in 10 of the 165,000 Europeans stranded around the world amid the pandemic are UK nationals but the British government has organised fewer EU-funded emergency flights than any other major country, the Guardian can reveal.The UK has chartered just six flights via the EU crisis scheme, bringing 1,000 Britons home. Germany, in comparison, has organised 101 such flights through the programme, repatriating a total of 21,815 of its citizens with EU cash. Continue reading... Go to Source

Government extends loan guarantee scheme to cover bigger firms Banks offering loans will work through weekend so that scheme is ready for MondayCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe government has sought to allay growing fears about the impact of a protracted Covid-19 lockdown on the economy by announcing that its loan guarantee scheme will be open to mid-sized firms that were in danger of being left out.On the day that the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, confirmed that the quarantining period would last for at least a further three weeks, the Treasury said it was taking steps to help businesses with annual turnovers of more than £45m – which are stuck in what has become known as the “squeezed middle”. Continue reading... Go to...

UK lockdown to continue for at least three weeks, Raab confirms Government says measures must go on because still not clear whether virus has peakedCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBritain’s lockdown is to continue for at least another three weeks because experts still cannot be sure the coronavirus epidemic has peaked, the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, has said.Raab, who is deputising for the prime minister while he recovers from Covid-19, said there was hope that the number of new infections was no longer rising in the community daily but there was less certainty about some hospitals and care homes. Continue reading... Go to Source

Inquiry announced into disproportionate impact of coronavirus on BAME communities While black and minority ethnic people make up only 14% of the UK’s population, they account for 35% of all deaths from the diseaseCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAn official inquiry is being launched to investigate why people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds appear to be disproportionately affected by coronavirus.Early figures on the incidence of Covid-19 showed 35% of almost 2,000 patients in intensive care units were black or from another minority ethnic backgrounds, despite BAME people making up only 14% of the population, according to the last census. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: 1m tests to be rolled out across Africa, as WHO warns over Europe situation Trump casts doubt on China death toll; WHO chief hopes US will remain a ‘friend’; almost 700 test positive on French aircraft carrierCoronavirus latest: at a glanceTrump fans flames of Chinese lab theory during daily briefingAustralia coronavirus updates – liveSee all of our coronavirus coverage 6.48pm BSTThe total number of coronavirus deaths across the world has reached at least 140,773, according to Johns Hopkins University, which has tracked the spread of the virus during the pandemic.The US has the highest number of deaths with more than 33,000 followed by Italy which has passed the 22,000 mark and Spain which has more than 19,000 casualties. 6.39pm BSTThe total num...

EU offers 'heartfelt apology' to Italy over coronavirus response Ursula von der Leyen voices regret as expert warns herd immunity still a way off in EuropeCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe EU has offered “a heartfelt apology” to Italy for letting it down at the start of the coronavirus crisis as fresh evidence emerged that few European countries are likely to have achieved herd immunity as they begin cautiously lifting their lockdowns.As the World Health Organization warned that the continent remained firmly “in the eye of the storm”, the president of the European commission said on Thursday that truth was needed to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic – including political honesty. Continue reading... Go to Source

Men are much more likely to die from coronavirus - but why? Trend has been replicated in all nations, but scientists cannot yet fathom the causeCoronavirus - latest updatesCoronavirus - all our coverage It has been well publicised that Covid-19 discriminates by age and by underlying health conditions.But it has become increasingly apparent that it also discriminates by sex, with the latest UK data from the Office for National Statistics revealing that men are almost twice as likely to die from the disease. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus UK live: lockdown to be extended as minister warns no return to normal without vaccine Foreign secretary Dominic Raab to lead meetings on Covid-19 physical distancing measures as sources say ministers have no lockdown exit planCoronavirus latest: at a glanceCoronavirus – latest global updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.50pm BSTOn Tuesday we told the story of Wren Hall nursing home in Nottinghamshire where the manager Anita Astle expressed her anguish at losing 10 of her 26 residents to confirmed or suspected coronavirus in the space of just a few weeks. Related: 'Are people dispensable?': care home manager tells how third of residents have died from Covid-19 12.42pm BSTAhead of attending this afternoon’s Cobra meeting, Scotland’s first minister Ni...

Price of high-demand food in UK rises sharply Online prices for items including long-life food and toilet roll rises 4.4%, says ONS Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe price of high-demand food and sanitary products has risen sharply in online shops over the past month as the coronavirus crisis mounts, according to official figures.In an early sign of rising living costs across Britain during the pandemic, prices in a basket of high demand products compiled by the Office for National Statistics, which includes long-life food, toilet roll and cleaning products, increased by 4.4% since just before lockdown measures began a month ago. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: Trump casts doubt on China death toll as IMF issues Asia warning Cases pass 2 million; WHO chief hopes US will remain a ‘friend’; almost 700 test positive on French aircraft carrier. Follow the latest updatesCoronavirus latest: at a glanceTrump fans flames of Chinese lab theory during daily briefingAustralia coronavirus updates – liveSee all of our coronavirus coverage 6.49am BSTA summary of the biggest developments in the global coronavirus outbreak: Related: Coronavirus latest: at a glance 6.44am BSTIn the US meanwhile, retail sales plunged in March while industrial production in the same month suffered its steepest drop since 1946, data showed Wednesday.Other reports pointed to weak homebuilder sentiment and manufacturing conditions, while a...

Trump wades further into China Covid-19 row as focus turns to easing lockdowns US president asks ‘do you really believe those numbers?’ and provokes angry response from editor of Global Times by repeating claims virus came from a labCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDonald Trump has again questioned China’s transparency over the coronavirus outbreak, casting doubt on the origins of the virus and number of cases, while signalling the US would soon join countries across Europe in easing its lockdown.“Do you really believe those numbers in this vast country called China?” the US president said, when asked about the severity of the US death toll at a White House press briefing. “We report everything, we’re reporting t...

Warning as coronavirus outbreak leads to sharp rise in deaths at home A&E chiefs believe many people who could be saved are too scared to go to hospitalCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe coronavirus crisis has led to a sharp rise in the number of seriously ill people dying at home because they are reluctant to call for an ambulance, doctors and paramedics have warned.Minutes of a remote meeting held by London A&E chiefs last week obtained by the Guardian reveal that dozens more people than usual are dying at home of a cardiac arrest – potentially related to coronavirus – each day before ambulance crews can reach them. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: Trump casts doubt on China death toll as cases worldwide top 2 million US reports 25,000 new infections; WHO chief hopes US will remain a ‘friend’; almost 700 test positive on French aircraft carrier. Follow the latest updatesCoronavirus latest: at a glanceAustralia coronavirus updates – liveUS coronavirus updates – liveSee all of our coronavirus coverage 12.45am BSTLos Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday it is unlikely concerts and sporting events will resume until at least 2021, as the city continues to fight the coronavirus pandemic.“It’s difficult to imagine us getting together in the thousands anytime soon, so I think we should be prepared for that this year,” he told Wolf Blitzer on The Situation Room. “...

Merkel announces plans to reopen schools and shops in Germany Plans to ease coronavirus lockdown prompt clashes among state premiers over timetableCoronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Conservative politicians vying for the leadership of Angela Merkel’s party argued over a timetable to exit the nationwide lockdown as the German chancellor announced plans to partially reopen schools and shops in the coming weeks.Hailing latest figures indicating a slowing down of the infection rate as a “fragile intermediate success”, Merkel said on Wednesday evening that teaching at schools across the country would start again from 4 May, initially for students in their final years of primary or secondary school. Continue reading... Go to Source

Amazon reaps $11,000-a-second coronavirus lockdown bonanza Shares reach record high, pushing fortune of CEO and founder Jeff Bezos to $138bnCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe online retailer Amazon has been described as a “clear winner” from the coronavirus crisis, its share price surging by more than a third inside a month, its customers spending almost $11,000 a second on its products and services, and its owner, Jeff Bezos, reinforcing his position as the world’s richest person with a fortune of $138bn.While most businesses have been hit hard by the impact of the pandemic and the looming recession, shares in Amazon have risen to a record high as hundreds of millions people stuck in lockdown conditions turn to the delivery giant to ...

Matt Hancock's record on NHS coronavirus provision What has been pledged on testing, PPE and ventilators – and what’s been deliveredCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMatt Hancock, the health secretary, has been the government’s public face for much of the coronavirus crisis, especially since Boris Johnson became ill. As such he has made pledges in a series of key areas – how do they measure up so far?Testing Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: third of all deaths in Scotland last week attributed to Covid-19 Keir Starmer calls on government to set out lockdown exit strategy; schools in Wales to stay closed after Easter; government promises tests for people in care homes with symptomsCare providers allege Covid-19 death toll underestimatedKeir Starmer calls for ministers to set out plans to end lockdownCoronavirus – latest global updatesCoronavirus latest: at a glanceSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.49pm BSTA total of 699 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, up by 84 from 615 on Tuesday, the first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said.The figures are lower than those given earlier by the National Records of Scotland as they do not include suspected and probable coronavir...

Coronavirus live news: Trump suspends WHO funding as global deaths pass 125,000 US to investigate World Health Organization’s response to crisis; cases worldwide pass 1.97m; France summons Chinese envoy. Follow the latest updates Trump halts WHO funding over coronavirus ‘failure’Australia coronavirus – live Coronavirus latest: at a glanceSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.51am BSTIraq has suspended the licence of the Reuters news agency after it published a story saying the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country was higher than officially reported. 12.40am BSTHello and welcome to today’s live coronavirus pandemic coverage with me, Helen Sullivan.Over the course of a particularly tone deaf and worrying press conference, US President Donald Trump...

UK economy could shrink by 35% with 2m job losses, warns OBR Unemployment could hit 10% by end of spring with public borrowing rising at fastest rate since WWIICoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBritain’s economy could shrink by 35% this spring and unemployment soar by more than 2 million due to the coronavirus crisis, the government’s independent economics forecaster has warned.In a stark assessment of the economic fallout from Covid-19 as lockdown measures bring much of the country to a standstill, the Office for Budget Responsibility said that gross domestic product (GDP) could plunge by more than a third in the second quarter of the year and by 13% for 2020 as a whole. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK care providers allege Covid-19 death toll underestimated Care operators warn coronavirus may already be in more than 50% of nursing homesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageCare home leaders have accused the government of vastly underestimating the deaths of elderly people from coronavirus, as they warned the disease may be circulating in more than 50% of nursing homes and mortality is significantly higher than official figures.Operators of several large care providers accused the government of not paying enough attention to the tragedy unfolding in residential setting across England, as figures from three of the largest chains show 620 deaths from Covid-19 in recent weeks. Continue reading... Go to Source