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Coronavirus: UK offers self-employed 80% of earnings Those earning £50,000 or less must wait until June to receive up to £2,500 a monthCoronavirus – latest UK updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageSelf-employed people must wait until June to get 80% of their earnings covered by the state, up to a maximum of £2,500 a month for three months, in response to the coronavirus crisis.The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, said the plan would be backdated to March and cover those earning up to £50,000, or 95% of the self-employed. It was “one of the most generous schemes anywhere in the world” and ended weeks of uncertainty for those who work for themselves, he said. Payments are set to be made to up to 3.8 million people. Continue reading... Go to Source

Millions of Britons clap for carers on coronavirus frontline People take to doorsteps, balconies and windows to show appreciation for health workersCoronavirus – latest UK updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAt 8pm on Thursday, as darkness fell across the UK, millions of people stood at their front doors and open windows, in gardens and on balconies, to raise a thunder of gratitude for those working on the frontline of the fight against coronavirus.With the hashtags #clapforourcarers and #thankyouNHS trending all day on social media, a nation that has been – messily, desperately – embracing technology as isolation guidance grows ever stricter was able to do something physical, in the open air, and the collective release was noisy and joyful. Continue reading... G...

Nurses sent to London as capital faces ‘tsunami’ of virus patients Plan for England comes as total number of reported deaths in the UK rises to 578Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageNurses will be transferred to London from other parts of England under NHS plans to help hospitals in the capital facing a “tsunami” of Covid-19 patients within days, the Guardian has learned.What do the restrictions involve? Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus US live: US now has more cases than any other country US now has 82,404 confirmed cases, according to trackerNew York governor rails at Congress for lack of aidAfter surviving Katrina, New Orleans battles Covid-19Record 3.3 million Americans file for unemploymentSee all our coronavirus coverageSupport the Guardian’s independent journalism. Make a contribution 11.42pm GMTAdvocates for American workers praised a “historic” increase in unemployment benefits included in an emergency $2tn relief package approved by the US Senate, which will offer special “pandemic unemployment” to gig workers, self-employed workers, and some people forced to leave their jobs because of the coronavirus crisis. Related: '$1,200 isn't enough': what a $2tn relief bill me...

How the UK plans to source 30,000 ventilators for the NHS New designs, scaling up of existing production and imports in progress to treat Covid-19Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe government is pursuing a three-pronged strategy to source 30,000 ventilators for the NHS to treat Covid-19 patients, ordering newly designed models, scaling up production of existing ones and importing machines from overseas.The defence firm Babcock joined the engineering company Dyson on Thursday in revealing plans for an entirely new medical ventilator working to specifications set by the government. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: London hospitals seeing 'continuous tsunami' of patients, says NHS leader Rolling coverage of all the latest UK coronavirus developmentsCoronavirus - latest global updatesUniversal credit claims ‘almost impossible’ as 500,000 applyMen are much more likely to die from Covid-19. But why?UK healthcare workers: the protection they need and what they haveRead all our coronavirus coverage 11.43am GMTMore than 1,000 people have contacted MPs to raise concerns about being told to continue travelling into work despite the government’s plea for them to stay at home. Office and call centre workers, TV engineers, and estate agents are among the workers who have replied to an appeal for information by the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy committee (BEIS...

Coronavirus live news: Third of world population under lockdown as global deaths pass 21,000 WTO warns economic impact will be worse than 2008; Spanish death toll higher than China’s; Prince Charles tests positive. Follow the latest updates. Coronavirus latest: at a glanceCoronavirus key questions: everything you need to knowTokyo and Hong Kong brace amid fears of fresh wave of casesDeath toll in Spain overtakes China as lockdowns extend around globeSee all our coronavirus coverage 5.58am GMTWalk in for your 8am shift: Immediately struck by how the calm of the early morning city streets is immediately transformed. The bright fluorescent lights of the ER reflect off everyone's protective goggles. There is a cacophony of coughing. You stop. Mask up. Walk in.You immediately assess th...

'Confusion reigns': life inside Hong Kong's coronavirus quarantine centres As the region battles a second wave of infections, people who have had contact with confirmed cases are being herded into confinementCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAround eight o’ clock in the morning the doorbell of the tiny single room blares, announcing at obscene volume the arrival of breakfast. The person who delivered it is long gone by the time the door opens.Inside the occupant looks out the window to the grounds of the complex that they aren’t allowed to visit. They wonder how long they have to stay locked up, because no one has told them. Continue reading... Go to Source

US Senate passes historic $2tn relief package as coronavirus devastates economy Record-breaking bailout comes after days of round the clock negotiationsDeal includes checks for Americans and loans for businesses Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe US Senate has passed a $2.2tn emergency relief package as the coronavirus pandemic devastates the economy, marking the biggest rescue deal of its kind in US history.“This is a strange and evil disease,” said the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer ahead of the vote. “When we pass this bill, instead of hugging each other, we’ll wave from a distance.” Continue reading... Go to Source

Banks warned against profiteering from UK coronavirus crisis Labour MP Chris Bryant accuses lenders of charging excessive interest ratesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBritish companies, including major banks, have been warned against profiteering from the coronavirus crisis and told to pass on the benefits of historic stimulus measures to their customers.The Labour MP Chris Bryant has accused UK banks of taking advantage of the surge in demand for emergency loans, despite interest rate cuts and major government-backed borrowing schemes for struggling businesses. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK government fends off criticism with plan to pay self-employed Rishi Sunak pressured into measures amid fears coronavirus will trigger unemployment crisisThe chancellor, Rishi Sunak, is expected to announce that the taxpayer will pay self-employed workers up to 80% of their recent earnings to help contain the economic impact of coronavirus, as 470,000 extra benefits claims sparked warnings of an “unemployment crisis”.Sunak has been under growing pressure to do more for the UK’s 5 million self-employed after announcing an unprecedented job retention scheme for employees last Friday, that will see thousands paid to stay at home. Continue reading... Go to Source

England: police to get power to use force to impose coronavirus lockdown Proposals would allow use of ‘reasonable force’ if people refuse to go homeCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coveragePolice will be authorised to use force to send people back home if they refuse to obey the coronavirus lockdown, under government plans.Ministers will issue fuller details by Thursday of how police will enforce the lockdown ordered by the prime minister on Monday, aimed at stopping the spread of the virus by keeping people apart. Continue reading... Go to Source