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Coronavirus: 20th case of Covid-19 in UK confirmed – latest updates Coronavirus: 20th case of Covid-19 in UK confirmed – latest updates
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Boris Johnson says coronavirus is UK government’s top priority as more deaths are reported around the world. Follow live newsBoris Johnson says coronavirus is UK government’s top priority as more deaths are reported around the world. Follow live news
Google will cancel an upcoming summit and restrict staff travel after confirming that an employee has been diagnosed with coronavirus.
The staff member diagnosed with the illness is in the company’s Zurich, Switzerland office, a Google spokesman told CNBC on Friday. The office will remain open.
The diagnosis comes as tech companies scramble to respond to the virus, which has infected at least 84,000 people worldwide. Google cancelled its Google News Initiative summit, which was scheduled to take place in Sunnyvale, California in late April.
Major companies, including IBM and Verizon, pulled out of annual cybersecurity conference RSA in San Francisco this week and Facebook cancelled its upcoming F8 developer conference in May.
Meanwhile, Amazon has begun to restrict all nonessential employee travel in the U.S. and has restricted all travel to China “until further notice.”
The British cruise ship turned away by the Dominican Republic is awaiting approval to dock on the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten, officials say.
According to the Associated Press, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines said it had reported a small number of influenza-like cases on board that did not appear linked to the new coronavirus – and that the patients had recovered.
The ship sailed to the island and is awaiting approval to dock there, local port officials have said.
Italy’s coronavirus death toll has reached 21 and some 820 people have been infected, the civil protection chief has said, while number of those who have recovered from the virus is increasing.
Authorities say all the victims were elderly people who had also been suffering from other health issues.
Lombardy’s governor, Attilio Fontana, says the situation intensified sharply in Lodi, near Milan, on Thursday; with a sudden spike in the number of people hospitalised.
“Unfortunately another emergency broke out in Lodi overnight,” Fontana, who has put himself into self isolation after a regional government employee tested positive, told La7 television. “There was a rush of hospitalisations yesterday afternoon with 51 people in a serious condition, including 17 who were put in intensive care.”
Public Health England (PHE) has confirmed the latest case is a resident of Surrey and it that it’s working with the county council to manage the situation. Dr Alison Barnett, the centre director for PHE South East, said:Public Health England (PHE) has confirmed the latest case is a resident of Surrey and it that it’s working with the county council to manage the situation. Dr Alison Barnett, the centre director for PHE South East, said:
Surrey county council’s interim director of public health, Ruth Hutchinson, added:Surrey county council’s interim director of public health, Ruth Hutchinson, added:
The Department of Health and Social Care has said the virus was passed on in the UK but the original source of the virus was “unclear”. It added that there was no “immediately identifiable link” to overseas travel.The Department of Health and Social Care has said the virus was passed on in the UK but the original source of the virus was “unclear”. It added that there was no “immediately identifiable link” to overseas travel.
Whitty has said:Whitty has said:
A further patient in England has tested positive for coronavirus and the illness was passed on in the UK, chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said.A further patient in England has tested positive for coronavirus and the illness was passed on in the UK, chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said.
Amazon tells employees to defer all non-essential travelAmazon tells employees to defer all non-essential travel
Amazon has said all employees should defer non-essential travel, including within the US, in a significant escalation by the world’s largest online retailer to guard against the spread of the coronavirus among its ranks.Amazon has said all employees should defer non-essential travel, including within the US, in a significant escalation by the world’s largest online retailer to guard against the spread of the coronavirus among its ranks.
Dave Clark, the senior vice president of worldwide operations, notified employees of the change on Thursday, which Amazon confirmed to Reuters.Dave Clark, the senior vice president of worldwide operations, notified employees of the change on Thursday, which Amazon confirmed to Reuters.
The acting White House chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, has accused the media of stoking fear over the coronavirus as a plot to take down Donald Trump, Politico reports.The acting White House chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, has accused the media of stoking fear over the coronavirus as a plot to take down Donald Trump, Politico reports.
Speaking at a conservative activist conference in Maryland, Mulvaney suggested the coronavirus was not as serious as other viral outbreaks.Speaking at a conservative activist conference in Maryland, Mulvaney suggested the coronavirus was not as serious as other viral outbreaks.
But Mulvaney added that the US would “probably” experience school closures as Covid-19 continued to spread around the world.But Mulvaney added that the US would “probably” experience school closures as Covid-19 continued to spread around the world.
You can keep up with all our live US political coverage here:You can keep up with all our live US political coverage here:
Boris Johnson has said that taking measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus is his government’s top priority and that the public is right to be concerned, in his first television appearance to talk about the issue.Boris Johnson has said that taking measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus is his government’s top priority and that the public is right to be concerned, in his first television appearance to talk about the issue.
The prime minister said: “On the issue of coronavirus, which obviously is a great concern to people, I just want to reassure everybody and say that the NHS is making every possible preparation. As you can imagine, the issue of coronavirus is something that is now the government’s top priority.The prime minister said: “On the issue of coronavirus, which obviously is a great concern to people, I just want to reassure everybody and say that the NHS is making every possible preparation. As you can imagine, the issue of coronavirus is something that is now the government’s top priority.
“I have just had a meeting with the chief medical officer and secretary of state for health, talking about the preparations that we need to make.”“I have just had a meeting with the chief medical officer and secretary of state for health, talking about the preparations that we need to make.”
He added that he would be chairing a meeting of ministers and officials on the subject on Monday.He added that he would be chairing a meeting of ministers and officials on the subject on Monday.
Four more people have died in Italy from coronavirus, Reuters reports the country’s civil protection agency as saying on Friday.Four more people have died in Italy from coronavirus, Reuters reports the country’s civil protection agency as saying on Friday.
The latest deaths bring the total in Italy to 21, while the number of those testing positive for the illness jumped to 821 from 650 the day before.The latest deaths bring the total in Italy to 21, while the number of those testing positive for the illness jumped to 821 from 650 the day before.
The outbreak, which began last week in Italy’s northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto, has made the country the hardest-hit in Europe and has led to draconian measures and a sharp reduction in economic activity.The outbreak, which began last week in Italy’s northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto, has made the country the hardest-hit in Europe and has led to draconian measures and a sharp reduction in economic activity.
Lombardy will ask the government to maintain the containment measures implemented against the outbreak for at least another week, the regional government said on Friday.Lombardy will ask the government to maintain the containment measures implemented against the outbreak for at least another week, the regional government said on Friday.
Antonia Wilson, a reporter on the Guardian’s travel desk, has investigated which countries currently have travel restrictions related to the coronavirus outbreak. She writes:
Read more:
The Vatican has dismissed speculation that Pope Francis is anything more than “slightly unwell” after he cancelled official audiences for a second day, Reuters is reporting.
Francis, 83, appeared to have a cold and spoke with a slightly hoarse voice at his general audience on Wednesday. He coughed during an afternoon Ash Wednesday service in a Rome church, his last appearance outside the Vatican.
Matteo Bruni, a Vatican spokesman, said on Friday morning that the pope had celebrated early morning mass as usual. “But he thought it was best to postpone today’s official audiences. The meetings scheduled to take place in Santa Marta will take place regularly,” Bruni said.
Later, Bruni said: “There is no evidence that would lead to diagnosing anything but a mild indisposition. Even this afternoon, the Holy Father’s meetings continued in Santa Marta.” However, he conceded that the pope was still “slightly unwell”.
A GP in Surrey is being taken to one of the UK’s six specialist centres for infectious diseases amid fears he is the latest British case of coronavirus, Denis Campbell, the Guardian’s health policy editor, reports.
The development is understood to have triggered an urgent investigation to see if any of his patients have the coronavirus too.
The case – which would be the 20th to emerge in the UK – has prompted particular concern among health officials trying to limit the spread of Covid-19.
The GP would routinely have seen scores of patients over the course of the last week before he became ill in the last 24 hours.
His diagnosis has yet to be publicly confirmed by Public Health England (PHE), NHS England or the Department of Health and Social Care. Public health chiefs are also worried by the unnamed doctor’s diagnosis because his wife is also a GP.
Read more:
Iceland has confirmed its first case of Covid-19, local media reports. The man is in isolation at Landspítali hospital after testing positive for the virus.
The man is reportedly not seriously ill, but tested positive for coronavirus after recently returning from northern Italy – but outside the area considered especially high risk for catching the virus.
Boris Johnson is under fire from opposition parties for waiting until next week to chair a Cobra meeting on the coronavirus outbreak. The meeting is scheduled to be held on Monday.
Labour has accused Johnson of acting as a “part-time prime minister”. The shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, said: “Our part-time prime minister needs to get a grip of this escalating situation quickly. It shouldn’t take another three days for this meeting to take place.”
The acting leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, said: “People across the country are anxious and concerned about coronavirus. They want to see leadership.
“The Liberal Democrats called on Boris Johnson to chair a Cobra meeting weeks ago to ensure everything was being done to prepare for a potential coronavirus outbreak. With the NHS already so stretched, it’s gobsmacking that the prime minister has delayed chairing Cobra for so long.
“Just like his failure to visit communities hit by flooding, on coronavirus Johnson seems like he’d rather bury his head in the sand than hear for himself what the experts are saying and what his ministers are doing.”
Ofqual, the exam regulator for England, says it is considering how to manage the dangers of a coronavirus outbreak disrupting this summer’s GCSE and A-level exams, Richard Adams, education editor, reports.
Students are due to sit A-levels – crucial for university entry – in May and June, but a widespread outbreak of Covid-19 at that point could mean that, in worst-case scenarios, students and staff may be unable to take the exams due to illness or quarantine restrictions.
In a statement Ofqual said: “We are working closely with awarding organisations and the Department for Education to consider how to manage any particular risks to the smooth running of exams and assessments should there be a widespread outbreak of coronavirus.
“We will update our existing guidance to reflect any specific arrangements schools and colleges should put in place if required. In the meantime, students, schools and colleges should continue to prepare for the summer exams and assessments as usual.”
A-levels and GCSEs are taken from the second week of May until the middle of June, with exam results published in mid-August. Disrupted A-level results could complicate the process of university applications, which rely in most cases on students gaining specific exam results. But in a period of difficulty universities may use other methods to allot places, such as previous exam results.
The Foreign Office has confirmed the death of a Briton who was onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
A spokesman said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Japan and are in contact with local authorities. Our sympathies and thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.”
The WHO has said that the assessment of the risk of spread and risk of impact of Covid-19 is now “very high at global level”.
The director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, told reporters in Geneva that the continued increase in the number of coronavirus cases and in the number of affected countries over the last days was “clearly of concern” but there was still a chance it could be contained.
China’s 329 reported cases in the past 24 hours was the lowest figure there in more than a month, he added.
There were more than 20 vaccines in development globally and several therapeutics were in clinical trials, Tedros said, and we could expect the first results in a few weeks time.
Aer Lingus has confirmed that the person from Northern Ireland infected with Covid-19 travelled on the airline to Dublin airport.
In a statement the airline said: “Aer Lingus can confirm that the patient in Northern Ireland who has been diagnosed with the Covid-19 virus travelled with the airline from northern Italy to Dublin.
“Aer Lingus is co-operating fully with the HSE in relation to the Covid-19 developments and is liaising with the Department of Foreign Affairs, other government departments and the relevant authorities as required.
“Aer Lingus will continue to assess the situation based on the guidance received.”
Stocks are falling sharply in New York, as the coronavirus market rout continues.
The Dow dropped by 761 points at the start of trading. That’s a drop of 2.96%, to 25,005 points.
The S&P 500 is down just over 3%, and the technology-focused Nasdaq dropped by 3.1%.
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