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Coronavirus news: UK cases jump to 115, department of health confirms – latest updates Coronavirus likely to significantly spread in the UK, warns Boris Johnson, as cases jump to 115 – latest updates
(32 minutes later)
California declares state of emergency; Italian doctors say German man may have been first European with virus and Scotland registers three more casesCalifornia declares state of emergency; Italian doctors say German man may have been first European with virus and Scotland registers three more cases
The rise of the staycation is a perennial story. In the past five years, heatwaves, Brexit, the weak pound, overseas terrorist attacks and, more recently, the climate crisis have all boosted UK holiday bookings. This year, coronavirus looks set to do the same as British travellers swap holidays abroad for a break closer to home.
Figures released on 4 March by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) show that January saw the lowest monthly increase in global airline passengers since 2010, when the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud led to massive airspace closures and flight cancellations. Demand for flights increased by just 2.4% compared with January 2019, where year-on-year growth had been 4.6%.
“January was just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the traffic impacts we are seeing owing to the Covid-19 outbreak, given that major travel restrictions in China did not begin until 23 January. Nevertheless, it was still enough to cause our slowest traffic growth in nearly a decade,” said IATA chief executive Alexandre de Juniac.
Global travel companies are already feeling the negative impact of coronavirus: Booking Holdings (which owns booking.com, priceline.com, kayak.com, cheapflights and momondo.com, among others), is predicting a 15% drop in total bookings in 2020. But UK tourism businesses are reporting a rise of up to 40% in traffic to their websites.
“For the period 1 January to 24 February 2020, we are, on average, 40% up on web visitors compared with the same period in the previous year,” said Steve Jarvis, owner of Independent Cottages. “Initial analysis of the most recent enquiries is that they appear to all be domestic – overseas enquiries have reduced significantly.”
Prime minister Boris Johnson spokesperson warned the coronavirus was likely to spread significantly. Johnson was updated on the coronavirus by the chief medical officer and the chief scientific adviser as he opened an official Cobra meeting.
The PM’s official spokesman said:
The Italian government has announced it is making €7.5bn available to help families and companies, as parents struggle to cope with the decision to close all schools nationwide until 15 March.
Italy has been grappling to contain Europe’s worst outbreak of coronavirus, which so far has claimed 107 lives.
On Thursday, Rome revealed that is evaluating the possibility of providing support to families, including reimbursements for babysitter costs and unpaid leaves of absence from work.
“We should not assume that people are home using up holiday pay or paid leave,” Elena Bonetti, minister of family affairs, told Radio Capital.
NHS England have released a breakdown of where the coronavirus cases are in England.NHS England have released a breakdown of where the coronavirus cases are in England.
A healthcare professional in the west of Ireland is among the latest group of people to test positive for the coronavirus, the Irish Time reports.A healthcare professional in the west of Ireland is among the latest group of people to test positive for the coronavirus, the Irish Time reports.
The person worked a shift in a hospital emergency department in Clare after returning from northern Italy. The healthcare professional was one of four people, two males and two females from the same family, who tested positive for the disease on Wednesday evening. The person worked a shift in a hospital emergency department in Clare after returning from northern Italy. The healthcare professional was one of four people from the same family who tested positive for the disease on Wednesday evening.
The chief medical officers from the different regions within the UK have responded to the latest figures on the coronavirus outbreak.The chief medical officers from the different regions within the UK have responded to the latest figures on the coronavirus outbreak.
Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, said: Prof Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, said:
Dr Frank Atherton, chief medical officer for Wales, confirmed that a second patient in Wales has tested positive for coronavirus. He said: Dr Frank Atherton, the chief medical officer for Wales, confirmed that a second patient in Wales has tested positive for coronavirus. He said:
The Scottish government has not raised the country’s coronavirus alert status from contain to delay, unlike health chiefs in England and Wales, because the number and type of Covid-19 cases are not yet significant enough.The Scottish government has not raised the country’s coronavirus alert status from contain to delay, unlike health chiefs in England and Wales, because the number and type of Covid-19 cases are not yet significant enough.
Scotland’s chief medical officer, Catherine Calderwood, said on Thursday morning the number of confirmed cases in Scotland had doubled overnight to six after three people came into contact with the three previous Covid-19 patients.Scotland’s chief medical officer, Catherine Calderwood, said on Thursday morning the number of confirmed cases in Scotland had doubled overnight to six after three people came into contact with the three previous Covid-19 patients.
By 2pm on Thursday, there had been 1250 negative tests according to the first bulletin in a series which ministers in Edinburgh said will be published at 2pm every day. By 2pm on Thursday, there had been 1,250 negative tests according to the first bulletin in a series which ministers in Edinburgh said will be published at 2pm every day.
Scottish government officials there was not yet evidence in Scotland of community transmission involving patients not in direct contact with known carriers or a sufficiently high rate of infection to raise the alert from its lowest status, containment, up a step to delay. Scottish government officials said there was not yet evidence in Scotland of community transmission involving patients not in direct contact with known carriers or a sufficiently high infection rate to raise the alert from its lowest status, containment, up a step to delay.
The delay phase is focused on slowing the virus’s spread through the wider community, and could involve banning or delaying large scale public events, to buy time for medical supplies to be built up and reduce the risks of it coinciding with the peak occurrence of routine winter illnesses. The delay phase is focused on slowing the virus’s spread through the wider community, and could involve banning or delaying large scale public events, to buy time for medical supplies to be built up and reduce the risks of the coronavirus coinciding with the peak occurrence of routine winter illnesses.
They said they expected that to change a matter of hours or days. “We’re under no illusion that it’s only a matter of a short period of time before we move it to ‘delay’,” said a government spokeswoman. Officials said they expected that to change a matter of hours or days. “We’re under no illusion that it’s only a matter of a short period of time before we move it to ‘delay’,” said a government spokeswoman.
The department of health confirmed that as of 9am on 5 March 2020, 18,083 people have been tested in the UK, of which 17,968 were confirmed negative and 115 were confirmed as positive. The Department of Health confirmed that as of 9am on 5 March 2020, 18,083 people have been tested in the UK, of whom the tests came back negative for 17,968.
Police in Northern Ireland may face 12-hour shifts and cancelled rest days if coronavirus has a serious impact on staffing levels, PA media reports.Police in Northern Ireland may face 12-hour shifts and cancelled rest days if coronavirus has a serious impact on staffing levels, PA media reports.
The chief constable of Police Service of Northern Ireland, Simon Byrne, said the potential impact of Covid-19 was very much unknown at this stage, but added that there were contingency plans in place if high numbers of his officers were struck down by the disease.The chief constable of Police Service of Northern Ireland, Simon Byrne, said the potential impact of Covid-19 was very much unknown at this stage, but added that there were contingency plans in place if high numbers of his officers were struck down by the disease.
“At the moment we are not complacent, and we can use a lot of experience from operating at pace at different times, whether it is dealing with complex investigations or serious disorder to keep officers and staff available to work,” he said.“At the moment we are not complacent, and we can use a lot of experience from operating at pace at different times, whether it is dealing with complex investigations or serious disorder to keep officers and staff available to work,” he said.
There are currently three cases in Northern Ireland.There are currently three cases in Northern Ireland.
“The disease, whilst the dots on the map are increasing, hasn’t yet exploded into the country,” Byrne said. “We are following the advice about personal hygiene, clearly what I need to do with senior colleagues is make sure our preparedness is at its optimum, so we are looking at a range of scenario planning in terms of how we protect officers and staff.”“The disease, whilst the dots on the map are increasing, hasn’t yet exploded into the country,” Byrne said. “We are following the advice about personal hygiene, clearly what I need to do with senior colleagues is make sure our preparedness is at its optimum, so we are looking at a range of scenario planning in terms of how we protect officers and staff.”
The Italian government ordered the closure of all schools and universities until 15 March as it tries to tackle Europe’s worst outbreak of coronavirus. More than 3,000 people have been infected by the coronavirus in Italy, of whom 107 have diedThe Italian government ordered the closure of all schools and universities until 15 March as it tries to tackle Europe’s worst outbreak of coronavirus. More than 3,000 people have been infected by the coronavirus in Italy, of whom 107 have died
Teachers and lecturers have turned to online classes to continue providing lessons to their students. The Associated Press has this photo of a teacher at the Polytechnic University of Milan, the largest Italian technical university with 45,000 students, giving online lessons.Teachers and lecturers have turned to online classes to continue providing lessons to their students. The Associated Press has this photo of a teacher at the Polytechnic University of Milan, the largest Italian technical university with 45,000 students, giving online lessons.
Birmingham city council has confirmed its first case of the coronavirusBirmingham city council has confirmed its first case of the coronavirus
The Department of Health will shortly be providing its daily update on the total number of UK cases.The Department of Health will shortly be providing its daily update on the total number of UK cases.
Donald Trump has said that, as a result of a hunch, he didn’t believe the World Health Organization’s assessment of the global death rate from coronavirus of 3.4%.Donald Trump has said that, as a result of a hunch, he didn’t believe the World Health Organization’s assessment of the global death rate from coronavirus of 3.4%.
“I think the 3.4% is really a false number,” he told Sean Hannity, one of his favourite conservative Fox News hosts, in a phone interview broadcast live.“I think the 3.4% is really a false number,” he told Sean Hannity, one of his favourite conservative Fox News hosts, in a phone interview broadcast live.
“Now, this is just my hunch,” Trump began, before continuing: “Based on a lot of conversations with a lot of people that do this, because a lot of people will have this, and it’s very mild – they’ll get better very rapidly, they don’t even see a doctor, they don’t even call a doctor.”“Now, this is just my hunch,” Trump began, before continuing: “Based on a lot of conversations with a lot of people that do this, because a lot of people will have this, and it’s very mild – they’ll get better very rapidly, they don’t even see a doctor, they don’t even call a doctor.”
He continued: “You never hear about those people, so you can’t put them down in the category of the overall population, in terms of this corona flu, and/or virus. So you just can’t do that.”He continued: “You never hear about those people, so you can’t put them down in the category of the overall population, in terms of this corona flu, and/or virus. So you just can’t do that.”
In London, there was some concern earlier that two patients at King’s College hospital in London may have contracted it while in the hospital.In London, there was some concern earlier that two patients at King’s College hospital in London may have contracted it while in the hospital.
However, the Guardian understands that both people were exposed to the virus before they reached the hospital.However, the Guardian understands that both people were exposed to the virus before they reached the hospital.
One of them is now being cared for in an isolation unit in St Thomas’ hospital in central London where a number of other infected people are being cared for.One of them is now being cared for in an isolation unit in St Thomas’ hospital in central London where a number of other infected people are being cared for.
Staff at a British government department have received an unfortunately worded email offering help with planning their “demise”, the Daily Mirror reports.Staff at a British government department have received an unfortunately worded email offering help with planning their “demise”, the Daily Mirror reports.
The message was sent to staff at the Department for Business, Energy, Innovation and Skills (BEIS).The message was sent to staff at the Department for Business, Energy, Innovation and Skills (BEIS).
The Mirror reports that the email was sent by a representative of ISS, an outsourcing company, and reads that it is monitoring the situation in relation to the coronavirus.The Mirror reports that the email was sent by a representative of ISS, an outsourcing company, and reads that it is monitoring the situation in relation to the coronavirus.
“Should, as part of your preparations need us to consider something more specific to your demise, ISS are happy to do so,” the email adds.“Should, as part of your preparations need us to consider something more specific to your demise, ISS are happy to do so,” the email adds.