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UK contact-tracing applicants wrongly told hiring paused in latest 'misstep' Michael Gove says 17,000 tracers recruited and scheme will be ready to launch by month’s endCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMinisters have been accused of “misstep after misstep” after applicants to become contact tracers for the NHS were told recruitment was on hold while the government considered an alternative app.After struggles with sourcing personal protective equipment and building up sufficient testing capacity, track, trace and isolate is the latest major challenge for the government. Continue reading... Go to Source

Firms slash entry-level jobs by almost quarter owing to coronavirus Report reflects concerns that pandemic will hit job prospects of young people hardestCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageSchool leavers and graduates hoping to enter the labour market in Britain this year will struggle to find employment as firms slash entry-level jobs by nearly a quarter owing to the coronavirus crisis, a report warns.All types of entry-level roles have been reduced this year by 23%, said the Institute of Student Employers (ISE), with the “volatile” jobs market forecast to shrink further as 15% of employers expect to scale back recruitment further in 2021. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: record daily cases in South Africa as India extends lockdown Daily death tolls fall in UK, Spain and Italy; Qatar makes masks mandatory on pain of prison; global infections pass 4.7 million. Follow the latest updatesCovid-19 cases in Brazil surpass Italy South Africa reports highest daily increase in casesAustralia coronavirus updates – liveCoronavirus latest: at a glanceSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.50am BSTThe coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating the existing vulnerabilities of the world’s refugees and internally displaced people, according to a report.Research from the University of Birmingham has revealed that many undocumented migrants were anxious about seeking medical help – fearful of being reported to immigration authorities and be...

Up to 20% of hospital patients in England got coronavirus while in for another illness Exclusive: Some infections were passed on by hospital staff who were unaware they had Covid-19 Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageUp to a fifth of patients with Covid-19 in several hospitals contracted the disease over the course of the pandemic while already being treated there for another illness, NHS bosses have told senior doctors and nurses.Some of the infections were passed on by hospital staff who were unaware they had the virus and were displaying no symptoms, while patients with coronavirus were responsible for the others. Continue reading... Go to Source

Labour to plan green economic rescue from coronavirus crisis Exclusive: Ed Miliband calls for creation of ‘zero-carbon army’ for eco-friendly industriesIs Covid-19 crisis the catalyst for the greening of world’s airlines?Labour is drawing up ambitious proposals to rescue the post-coronavirus economy with a radical green recovery plan focused on helping young people who lose their jobs by retraining them in green industries.Seeking to seize the initiative on the country’s future direction once the pandemic abates, Ed Miliband, the shadow business secretary, has called for the plans to include creating a “zero-carbon army of young people” doing work such as planting trees, insulating buildings and working on green technologies. Continue reading... Go...

Coronavirus live news: Spain records lowest death toll in two months as Italy prepares to open shops and salons Barack Obama attacks Trump’s virus response; Russia sees 9,709 new confirmed cases in past 24 hours; China reports five new Covid-19 casesSpain reports fewer than 100 deaths for first time in two monthsCovid-19 cases in Brazil surpass ItalyUS and UK ‘lead push against global patent pool for Covid-19 drugs’Coronavirus latest developments: at a glanceSee all our coronavirus coverage 6.43pm BSTFrance’s total number of coronavirus deaths recorded in hospitals and nursing homes has risen to 28,108 from 27,625 on Saturday. The number of people in hospitals has fallen to 19,361, compared to 19,432 the previous day. The number of people in ICU is 2,087, compare...

UK wrong to rule out global coronavirus comparisons, experts say Exclusive: academics’ data on excess deaths shows peak in England was higher than Italy’sCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageGovernment ministers are wrong to say that the impact of coronavirus on health in the UK cannot yet be compared with other countries, according to leading academics whose data shows the peak of deaths in England was higher than that in Italy.International comparison charts were shown at the Downing Street daily briefing until England’s death rate from Covid-19 hit a trajectory set to take it above other European nations. Ministers have said comparisons are not accurate because countries collect their data in different ways. Continue reading... Go to ...

Doctors raise hopes of blood test for children with coronavirus-linked syndrome UK researchers believe blood markers may help them identify those most at riskCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDoctors have identified a group of blood compounds that may help to reveal which children are most at risk of developing a rare but life-threatening immune reaction to coronavirus.The new syndrome emerged last month after hospitals in London admitted a number of children to intensive care units with symptoms that resembled toxic shock mixed with an inflammatory disorder known as Kawasaki disease. Continue reading... Go to Source

Michael Gove tells councils to 'look to their responsibilities' and open schools Minister asks local authorities refusing to allow pupils back on 1 June to ‘think again’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMichael Gove has told local authorities refusing to reopen their schools on 1 June to “look to their responsibilities”, saying: “If you really care about children, you’ll want them in schools.”Appearing on the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show, the Cabinet Office minister said: “We are confident that children and teachers will be safe.” Continue reading... Go to Source

Europe plans a summer staycation after coronavirus lockdowns While France, Italy and Spain stay cautious and look for domestic tourists, Greece hopes to capitalise on its handling of the crisis by opening its doors in JulyCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAs the UK prepares for a glut of bookings if the government allows staycations this summer, other European countries are also moving to save their tourism industries, which represent around 10% of GDP Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: Spain records lowest death toll in two months; Obama attacks Trump's virus response Russia sees 9,709 new confirmed cases in past 24 hours; China reports five new Covid-19 cases; boy in France dies of Kawasaki-like diseaseSpain reports fewer than 100 deaths for first time in two monthsBarack Obama attacks Trump handling of pandemicUK coronavirus – live updatesCoronavirus latest developments: at a glanceSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.45pm BSTMadagascar has reported the first death of a patient suffering from the novel coronavirus, nearly two months after the virus was first detected in the country.The Indian ocean island, which has reported 304 cases, hit the headlines last month over a home-grown herbal concoction, a tonic drink derived from artemisia -...

'I miss people terribly': the growing pain of older people's isolation Many older people are in lockdown alone, and some of them feel they are wasting valuable timeCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage“I don’t think I’ll be able to keep doing this for much longer, I won’t be able to stand it,” said Mary Fletcher, 81, who is in her ninth week of lockdown in her flat in London. “I’m starting to feel that having Covid-19 might be preferable to isolation. Next week I think I’m going to break it and see my family. I’m now prepared to take that risk.”Many older people in the UK are in lockdown alone. Being apart from family and friends, and often unable to leave the house because they are “shielding...

Who'd be a health secretary? Five former incumbents on the toughest gig in politics With Matt Hancock under fire, former health secretaries discuss their highs and lows, how they dealt with pandemics – and what the future holdsSee all our coronavirus coverageOne effect of the unprecedented socioeconomic impact of Covid-19 has been to catapult the secretary of state for health and social care to the forefront of British politics. For the long month of April, with the prime minister either in intensive care with the disease or recuperating in isolation, there was no one with a more prominent government profile than Matt Hancock.It was, to say the least, an unusual predicament for a health secretary. Since the controversy around the target of 100,000 daily coronavirus tests and Boris...