News- UK

Coronavirus news updates: concern as Britons defy stay-at-home orders; Italy tightens lockdown Indian PM urges citizens to observe restrictions but there are concerns in the UK after Britons flock to seaside towns in defiance of orders to stay at home. Follow all the developments liveUK panic buyers urged to think of frontline workersItaly and Spain record highest single-day death tollsNew York announces all non-essential workers must stay homeThe week explained | Sign up for our weekly newsletterSee all our coronavirus coverage 5.42am GMTAnother Australian state is effectively closing its borders by requiring all entrants to undergo 14 days quarantine.The Western Australian border will close at 1.30pm Tuesday, at the same time as South Australia and the Northern Territory. The WA polic...

UK military planners drafted in to help feed vulnerable in Covid-19 outbreak Food stockpilers told they should be ‘ashamed’ as prime minister urges Britons not to make mother’s day visitsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageKey military officials are to help ensure food and medicines reach vulnerable people isolated at home during the coronavirus crisis, as part of a nationwide campaign to protect more than a million people most at risk of being hospitalised.Community pharmacies, voluntary groups and food retailers are in talks with the government to ensure essential items reach people being told to remain in their home. Those believed to be at most risk are being contacted on how best to protect themselves, and being strongly advised to st...

Congress and White House resume talks on $1tn pandemic rescue deal Officials say the economic package could pump $2tn into the US economy which would provide paychecks and funds to hospitalsNegotiators from Congress and the White House resumed top-level talks Saturday on a ballooning $1tn-plus economic rescue package, urged by Donald Trump to strike a deal to steady a nation thoroughly upended by the coronavirus pandemic.It was an extraordinary moment in Washington: Congress undertaking the most ambitious federal effort yet to shore up households and the US economy and a president angry and lashing out at all comers. All while the global outbreak and the nationwide shutdown grip an anxious, isolated population bracing for a healthcare crisis and looming recession. Continue reading... ...

Britons stranded in Peru could be flown home early next week South American country closed borders a week ago in attempt to stop spread of coronavirus, stranding 400 British citizensCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageHundreds of Britons stranded in Peru due to the coronavirus pandemic could be flown home early next week, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has said.More than 400 British and Irish citizens are believed to be in the Andean nation and have been unable to leave following a 15-day government lockdown imposed since Monday. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus: UK panic-buyers urged to think of frontline workers Government, business and NHS leaders ask people to leave enough supplies for othersCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe UK government has joined forces with retailers to make a coordinated appeal to shoppers to stop stockpiling food and to think of others as panic-buying continues in response to the coronavirus crisis.The environment secretary, George Eustice, who stood in for Boris Johnson on Saturday at the government’s daily briefing, said that when people took more than they needed it made things difficult for frontline workers, such as NHS staff. Continue reading... Go to Source

Police vow to enforce virus pub ban as some in UK continue to gather Scotland says it will enforce law; Northern Ireland deals with end-of-school parties; Wales boosts NHS measuresCoronavirus – latest updatesFull coronavirus coverageScottish police will enforce the coronavirus-related ban on pubs, clubs and restaurants opening if necessary, the chief constable has said.Iain Livingstone said in a statement: “To be clear, no public houses or other entertainment venues should be opening for patrons until further notice.” Continue reading... Go to Source

Mike Pence and wife will be tested for coronavirus after staffer tests positive - follow live Donald Trump says Congress is ‘very close’ on coronavirus legislationUS closes in on 20,000 cases of Covid-19Follow global updates liveSee all our coronavirus coverage 5.58pm GMTTrump is asked how the one of the richest countries in the world could be facing such a shortfall of masks and other personal protective equipment. As he’s done before, he points to inherited circumstances: “Many administrations preceded me. For the most part, they did very little in terms of what you’re talking about. This is unprecedented.” He then adds his administration has gotten “tremendous reviews” for its response. 5.50pm GMTWhile fielding questions from the press ...

Coronavirus cases climb across Asia Pacific as lockdowns in US widen Australia closes Bondi Beach as cases rise past 1,000; South Korea raises concerns over ‘imported cases’; US tells millions to stay homeCoronavirus - latest newsSee all our coronavirus coverageCountries across the Asia Pacific have continued to report big rises in Covid-19 infections as tens of millions in the US began life under increasingly strict lockdown conditions.Australia and Japan’s infections rose past 1,000 on Saturday and Thailand reported its biggest daily jump of 89, amid concerns that returning citizens were a major source of infection. Singapore recorded its first two fatalities. Continue reading... Go to Source

Man runs marathon on 7-metre balcony during French lockdown Elisha Nochomovitz wanted to pay tribute to medics and show it’s possible to stay fit at homeCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIn the age of Covid-19 confinement, Elisha Nochomovitz has figured out a way to keep occupied by running a marathon on his balcony.Nochomovitz ran 42.2km (26.2 miles) back and forth, never leaving his 7 metre-long (23 feet) balcony. Continue reading... Go to Source

Boris Johnson announces closure of all UK pubs and restaurants Cafes, gyms and leisure centres also told to shut from Friday evening because of Covid-19 Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson took the extraordinary step of ordering pubs, clubs and restaurants across the UK to close on Friday, and announced an unprecedented wage-support scheme to try to prevent a tsunami of job losses.Announcing the decision in the fight against the coronavirus, the prime minister said that he realised it went against what he called “the inalienable free-born right of people born in England to go to the pub”. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live updates: global cases top quarter of a million, as Italy sees biggest daily rise in deaths Death toll in Spain reaches 1,000 as Germany threatens further curfews and UK government discusses new London clampdownItaly and Spain record highest single-day death tollsNew York announces all non-essential workers must stay homeThe week explained | Sign up for our weekly newsletter See all our coronavirus coverage 11.03pm GMTPence’s press secretary, Katie Miller, has said the vice president’s office office was notified about the staffer’s positive test on Friday evening. The statement did not name the individual.“Further contact tracing is being conducted in accordance with CDC guidelines,” she said, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and...

Trump throws tantrum over question about coronavirus fears: 'You're a terrible reporter' President rails against NBC journalist’s ‘nasty question’Trump announces new immigration restrictionsUS coronavirus news – live updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDonald Trump has thrown an extraordinary temper tantrum on live television, lambasting a reporter who challenged him for raising hopes about a coronavirus treatment. Related: States ask Trump to deploy military to help fight coronavirus pandemic Continue reading... Go to Source

As fearful Britain shuts down, coronavirus has transformed everything It’s too early to say whether the country is united but the cracks are beginning to showCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageHas the national life of this country ever been transformed so completely and at such a speed? In the course of a week, the British landscape has changed and changed utterly. Once crowded streets are deserted. Schools are closed, summer exams cancelled. Football grounds are shuttered and padlocked. Theatres are dark, cinemas silent. They’ve even stopped changing the guard at Buckingham Palace – and from Friday night the pubs are shut.The economy has juddered into reverse, set to shrink by 15% according to some estimates – a collapse more catas...

Last orders: the reaction in pubs to the Covid-19 shutdown How did drinkers and publicans feel about Boris Johnson’s Friday night announcement?Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageLondonPubs in Penge, south-east London, had started filling up well before the prime minister’s announcement that they must close down – and no one showed signs of leaving. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: restaurants, pubs and gyms to close tonight; government to pay 80% of wages of those not working All the day’s developments as UK death toll reaches 177 and government announces new clampdown alongside financial easingGovernment to pay up to 80% of wages in outbreakJohnson announces closure of all UK pubs and restaurantsItaly sees biggest day-to-day rise in deaths‘Don’t take any chances’: warning of woman with Covid-19The week explained | Sign up for our newsletter 5.45pm GMTThe communities secretary Robert Jenrick has said the new social distancing measures announced by the Prime Minister will be in place for 14 days then reviewed, and has also provided a definitive list of places that are to close. These are:(1/2) We’ve made the decis...

Coronavirus live updates: California governor issues statewide 'stay at home' order as Italy deaths pass China A stark warning from America’s most populous state – but UK researchers signal hope of vaccine this year. Follow the latest newsFollow our Australia coronavirus live blogItaly becomes country with most deathsTrump sows confusion with treatment claimSee all our coronavirus coverage 5.46am GMTOur Africa correspondent, Jason Burke, has been looking at how the continent’s fragile health systems might cope with a sustained outbreak of the virus.He’s spoken to officials in Nigeria where they are scrambling to add isolation beds and provide more specialised medical training and equipment at state hospitals. Related: Africa's fragile health systems rush to conta...

Key worker: official list of UK personnel who can still send children to school Those working to provide essential goods and services are exempt from general closure of schoolsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe Department for Education has published a list of “key workers” whose children will be prioritised for schooling during general closures because of coronavirus. Schools are being asked to continue to provide care for a number of children but will be closed to the majority from Monday 23 March. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus credit crunch could make 2008 look like 'child's play' Experts warn companies that have gorged on cheap money for the past decade face going out of businessCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA worldwide credit crunch triggered by the coronavirus will set in motion a wave of corporate bankruptcies that will make the global financial crisis look like “child’s play”, investors have warned.With the world’s most advanced economies all entering a shutdown that could last months, companies that have gorged on cheap money for the past decade face going out of business thanks to a huge spike in borrowing costs on international money markets. Continue reading... Go to Source

Trials to begin on Covid-19 vaccine in UK next month Researchers hope to conduct animal tests next week and safety trials as early as next monthCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA massive effort is under way to develop a UK vaccine for coronavirus within monthsand make it available to save lives before the end of the year, the Guardian has learned.Researchers at Oxford University, led by Prof Sarah Gilbert, are planning a safety trial on humans of what is expected to be the UK’s first coronavirus vaccine next month. Provided that it goes smoothly, they will move directly into a larger trial to assess how effective the vaccine is at protecting against the infection. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: Italy death toll rises to 3,405, overtaking China US says vaccine is 12 months away, Hubei reports no new cases and cases in Peru rise 61% in single dayFollow our US coronavirus live blogFollow our Australia coronavirus live blogIsraeli spies source up to 100,000 tests in covert missionChina’s coronavirus lockdown strategy: brutal but effectiveSee all our coronavirus coverage 11.45pm GMTTop Mexican banking and financial workers are under quarantine or are working from home after attending an event in the Pacific last week where at least one participant later tested positive for coronavirus. In contrast to much of Latin America, Mexico’s government has taken a laissez-fire approach to tackling the virus and has allowed large events go ahead, including a...

Phone location data could be used to help UK coronavirus effort Exclusive: BT in talks with government about mapping phone users’ movementsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBT, owner of UK mobile operator EE, is in talks with the government about using its phone location and usage data to monitor whether coronavirus limitation measures such as asking the public to stay at home are working.The ability to create movement maps of anonymised data, meaning individuals could not be identified, could prove invaluable in evaluating and shaping the state response to the spread of the virus. Continue reading... Go to Source

Trump sows confusion with claim coronavirus drug will be ready soon President said malaria drug would be available ‘almost immediately’ but officials say chloroquine must still be testedCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDonald Trump has sown fresh confusion about the US government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic by claiming that a therapeutic drug will be available “almost immediately” – only to be contradicted by officials.In the latest measure to combat the spread of the virus, the State Department on Thursday issued a new alert urging Americans not to travel abroad under any circumstances and to return home if they are already abroad unless they plan to remain overseas Continue reading... Go to Source

Bank of England's QE programme is bigger than the City expected Quantitative easing stimulus is equivalent to almost 2% off interest ratesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe Bank of England has gone all in. By cutting interest rates to 0.1% and announcing a fresh £200bn of money creation via its quantitative easing programme it has fired all the conventional weapons in its arsenal.There will be some who say this is all reminiscent of the Beyond the Fringe sketch where Peter Cook demands “a futile gesture” to raise the whole tone of the war. Others will saythe Bank’s new governor Andrew Bailey had no choice given the state of the markets and the imminent lockdown in London. Bailey has had a good first week in the job. Continue rea...

UK coronavirus live: Boris Johnson says country can 'turn the tide' in 12 weeks Rolling coverage of the latest coronavirus developments in the UKCoronavirus - latest global updatesTemporary morgues being set up across UK Health officials to be given powers to detain‘I’m very frightened’: lives on hold as NHS surgery postponedSee all our coronavirus coverage 5.48pm GMTJohnson says he is often accused of sounding “unnecessarily boosterish”.He does not want to strike that note today, he says. 5.44pm GMTQ: You say you think you can turn the tide in 12 weeks. What does that mean? Does that mean we will be returning to our normal lives?Johnson says he wants us to get on top of this. At the moment the disease does not seem yet to be responding to the interventions...

Coronavirus live news: Hubei reports no new cases for first time as Australia bans foreign arrivals New Zealand announces border closure, China reaches milestone; UK announces school closures; WHO calls virus ‘enemy against humanity. Follow the latest updates. Coronavirus latest: at a glanceFollow our Australia coronavirus live blogSee all our coronavirus coverageShare your experiences 5.40am GMTFrench President Emmanuel Macron has expressed his full support for the latest European Central Bank measures on Twitter. On Wednesday the ECB announced a €750bn Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme. Extraordinary times require extraordinary action. There are no limits to our commitment to the euro. We are determined to use the full potential of our tools, within our mandate. https:/...

London tube to close many stations because of coronavirus Waterloo and City line will stop running, up to 40 other stations will shut down, and overnight tube services will be suspendedCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDozens of London Underground stations are to be closed indefinitely amid a toughening of measures to try to slow the spread of coronavirus.Transport for London (TfL) announced a series of changes late on Wednesday evening as it urged people in the capital not to travel if at all possible. Continue reading... Go to Source

Scientists say mass tests in Italian town have halted Covid-19 there A study in Vò, which saw Italy’s first death, points to the danger of asymptomatic carriersCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe small town of Vò, in northern Italy, where the first coronavirus death occurred in the country, has become a case study that demonstrates how scientists might neutralise the spread of Covid-19.A scientific study, rolled out by the University of Padua, with the help of the Veneto Region and the Red Cross, consisted of testing all 3,300 inhabitants of the town, including asymptomatic people. The goal was to study the natural history of the virus, the transmission dynamics and the categories at risk. Continue reading... Go to Source

Iran to pardon 10,000 including 'security' prisoners Announcement follows temporary release of 85,000 to ease pressure on prisons amid coronavirus crisisIran is to pardon 10,000 prisoners including political ones in honour of the Iranian new year on Friday, according to state TV. It was not stated whether the pardons would include the British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – who was released on Tuesday for two weeks, when 85,000 were let out temporarily because of coronavirus – or the British-Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who was not known to have been released. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus: why are UK schools closing and what does it mean for parents? Boris Johnson announces change in policy as rate of infections increases faster than anticipatedCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageWhy are schools closing now?Up until Wednesday the British government’s policy had been to keep schools open, not least to ensure that key NHS and frontline care workers can remain in their posts rather than going home to look after their children. But Boris Johnson said the government had been forced to change tack because the rate of Covid-19 infections was increasing faster than anticipated. He said the public health benefits of keeping schools open had shifted and the scientific advice was that schools should close to slow the spread of the vir...

UK schools to be closed indefinitely and exams cancelled Schools will remain open only for key workers’ children and ‘the most vulnerable’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageSchools across the UK are to close indefinitely, with A-level and GCSE exams cancelled, as the government made another sudden escalation in its efforts to curb the increasing spread of coronavirus.The prime minister, Boris Johnson, said he had been been forced to close classrooms for up to 8 million pupils in England – the first countrywide school shutdown in modern British history – as the virus spread faster than anticipated, forcing teachers and pupils to self-isolate. Continue reading... Go to Source