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Coronavirus latest updates: UK over 70s to have to self-isolate 'within weeks' | Coronavirus latest updates: UK over 70s to have to self-isolate 'within weeks' |
(32 minutes later) | |
Trump tests negative while Spanish PM’s wife tests positive; France and Israel announce partial closure of country; scientists condemn UK ‘herd immunity’ strategy | Trump tests negative while Spanish PM’s wife tests positive; France and Israel announce partial closure of country; scientists condemn UK ‘herd immunity’ strategy |
Ministers are planning to give police in the UK the power to arrest people with coronavirus who are not self-isolating, the health secretary has confirmed. | |
“We are going to take the powers to make sure that we can quarantine people if they are a risk to public health, yes, and that’s important,” Matt Hancock told the Andrew Marr Show on the BBC. | |
“I doubt that actually we will need to use it much because people have been very responsible.” | |
The emergency powers will be set out on Tuesday before the legislation is outlined in a Bill due to be published on Thursday, Hancock said. | |
Meanwhile, the government has been urged to prioritise the testing of doctors for coronavirus to ensure adequate staff levels during the pandemic. | |
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the chairman of the council of the British Medical Association, said he “can’t emphasise enough how serious the problem is” if numerous healthcare workers are self-isolating, and he urged the government to ensure that GP practices can run “in a normal fashion”. | |
Scottish Labour has urged the government to close the country’s parliament to the public. | |
The demand comes as a £320m support package was unveiled for the next financial year. | |
Scottish Labour business manager Elaine Smith said: | |
Union leaders are calling for private hospital beds in the UK to be used rent free, to ease pressure on NHS hospitals dealing with the coronavirus crisis. | |
The GMB union has launched a petition urging the prime minister to requisition private hospital beds, amid reports the NHS is to spend up to £2.4m a day to do so. | |
Rehana Azam, GMB national officer, said: | |
France will start reducing plane, train and coach services between cities from Sunday to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, two ministers said on Sunday. | |
In a joint news conference, ecology minister Elisabeth Borne and transport minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari said cargo services would continue as normal, as would city metro services. | |
“We have to limit our movements as much as possible. Long distance trips must be kept to what is strictly necessary,” Borne said. | |
Djebbari said the number of long-distance trains would be cut by half, while several airport terminals in Paris would be closed. | |
Meanwhile, social distancing measures were observed in Paris as people stood a metre apart from each other while queueing at a bakery which is only letting three people in at a time this morning. | |
Iran’s death toll from the coronavirus has reached 724, with 113 new deaths in the past 24 hours, an official confirmed, adding that some 13,938 people have been infected across the country. | |
“In the past 24 hours, 1,209 new cases have been confirmed ... with 113 deaths in the past 24 hours, the death toll has reached 724,” tweeted Alireza Vahabzadeh, an adviser to Iran’s health minister. | |
Meanwhile, Iran’s official leading the response to the coronavirus outbreak acknowledged that it could overwhelm health facilities in the country, which is under severe US sanctions. | |
Colombia is to expel four Europeans for violating compulsory quarantine protocols designed to halt the spread of the coronavirus, just hours after it closed its border with Venezuela, the government said on Saturday. | Colombia is to expel four Europeans for violating compulsory quarantine protocols designed to halt the spread of the coronavirus, just hours after it closed its border with Venezuela, the government said on Saturday. |
Two men and two women of French and Spanish nationality will be deported after ignoring mandatory instructions to isolate themselves and leaving their hotels, against the warnings of staff, the migration agency said. | Two men and two women of French and Spanish nationality will be deported after ignoring mandatory instructions to isolate themselves and leaving their hotels, against the warnings of staff, the migration agency said. |
Colombia has so far reported 22 cases of the virus and has declared a health emergency to contain the disease. Measures include suspending public gatherings of more than 500 people and blocking cruise ships from entering its ports, Reuters reported. | Colombia has so far reported 22 cases of the virus and has declared a health emergency to contain the disease. Measures include suspending public gatherings of more than 500 people and blocking cruise ships from entering its ports, Reuters reported. |
President Ivan Duque said Colombia would close its border with Venezuela starting Saturday, while arrivals who are not residents or nationals and have stayed in Europe or Asia during the last two weeks will not be allowed to enter from Monday. | President Ivan Duque said Colombia would close its border with Venezuela starting Saturday, while arrivals who are not residents or nationals and have stayed in Europe or Asia during the last two weeks will not be allowed to enter from Monday. |
Matt Hancock, the UK health secretary, said Britain has not ruled out following other countries and closing restaurants, bars and other shops to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. | Matt Hancock, the UK health secretary, said Britain has not ruled out following other countries and closing restaurants, bars and other shops to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. |
When asked if ministers were planning on shutting up shops other than pharmacies and supermarkets, Hancock told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “We haven’t ruled that out, we will do what is necessary.” | When asked if ministers were planning on shutting up shops other than pharmacies and supermarkets, Hancock told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “We haven’t ruled that out, we will do what is necessary.” |
Government contingency plans briefed a fortnight ago that retired doctors, and leavers of the profession, would be called on to return to work in the event of a major pandemic were met with scepticism. | Government contingency plans briefed a fortnight ago that retired doctors, and leavers of the profession, would be called on to return to work in the event of a major pandemic were met with scepticism. |
Scores of retired NHS doctors and nurses told the Guardian they are against returning to work to help tackle coronavirus, with many saying it would threaten their physical and mental health. | Scores of retired NHS doctors and nurses told the Guardian they are against returning to work to help tackle coronavirus, with many saying it would threaten their physical and mental health. |
Asked whether he is confident in the government’s approach of calling on retired doctors to help, BMA chair Dr Nagpaul said: | Asked whether he is confident in the government’s approach of calling on retired doctors to help, BMA chair Dr Nagpaul said: |
Freedom of movement will be “massively limited” in Austria as part of drastic measures to fight the spread of Covid-19. | Freedom of movement will be “massively limited” in Austria as part of drastic measures to fight the spread of Covid-19. |
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced the measures would include closing playgrounds and sports grounds across the alpine country from Tuesday. | Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced the measures would include closing playgrounds and sports grounds across the alpine country from Tuesday. |
Non-essential shops, restaurants and bars will also close. Travel restrictions will be further tightened, with border checks imposed between Austria and Switzerland, people no longer allowed to enter the country from Great Britain, the Netherlands, Ukraine and Russia. | Non-essential shops, restaurants and bars will also close. Travel restrictions will be further tightened, with border checks imposed between Austria and Switzerland, people no longer allowed to enter the country from Great Britain, the Netherlands, Ukraine and Russia. |
Kurz said the coming weeks would be “challenging, difficult and painful”, but assured the public that the supply of crucial goods would be uninterrupted. | Kurz said the coming weeks would be “challenging, difficult and painful”, but assured the public that the supply of crucial goods would be uninterrupted. |
Shops including pharmacies and drugstores are to remain open for now. Austria has had 800 confirmed cases of coronavirus so far, with the Tyrol region emerging as one of the hotspots of the infection. One person has died as a result of the virus. | Shops including pharmacies and drugstores are to remain open for now. Austria has had 800 confirmed cases of coronavirus so far, with the Tyrol region emerging as one of the hotspots of the infection. One person has died as a result of the virus. |
Ireland’s taoiseach has warned he may seek enforcement powers to stop large gatherings in pubs after drunken scenes in Dublin’s city centre last night caused alarm with cabinet colleagues. | Ireland’s taoiseach has warned he may seek enforcement powers to stop large gatherings in pubs after drunken scenes in Dublin’s city centre last night caused alarm with cabinet colleagues. |
The Irish government is concerned that members of the public are not taking the coronavirus emergency measures which involves closures of schools and bans of indoor gatherings of more than 100 seriously enough. | The Irish government is concerned that members of the public are not taking the coronavirus emergency measures which involves closures of schools and bans of indoor gatherings of more than 100 seriously enough. |
Varadkar added: | Varadkar added: |
His warning comes 12 hours after European affairs minister Helen McEntee expressed alarm following posts on social media of drunken sing-alongs in pubs. | His warning comes 12 hours after European affairs minister Helen McEntee expressed alarm following posts on social media of drunken sing-alongs in pubs. |
She pleaded with the public to be vigilant and pay heed to social distancing advice which warns that to do otherwise could force closures across the hospitality sector with devastating consequences for business owners, their staff and families. | She pleaded with the public to be vigilant and pay heed to social distancing advice which warns that to do otherwise could force closures across the hospitality sector with devastating consequences for business owners, their staff and families. |
Health minister Simon Harris had described drunken scenes in Dublin’s Temple Bar, an area popular with tourists and stag and hen parties, as “an insult” to the efforts of health workers fighting to stem the disease in hospitals nearby. | Health minister Simon Harris had described drunken scenes in Dublin’s Temple Bar, an area popular with tourists and stag and hen parties, as “an insult” to the efforts of health workers fighting to stem the disease in hospitals nearby. |
Ireland announced its emergency measures on Thursday and followed up with a summit with the Northern Ireland executive yesterday after which Arlene Foster revealed schools in the region could be closed for “at least 16 weeks”. | Ireland announced its emergency measures on Thursday and followed up with a summit with the Northern Ireland executive yesterday after which Arlene Foster revealed schools in the region could be closed for “at least 16 weeks”. |
Jordan has announced six new cases of the novel coronavirus, the day after implementing a raft of quarantine measures including the banning of all passenger flights in and out of the country from Tuesday. | Jordan has announced six new cases of the novel coronavirus, the day after implementing a raft of quarantine measures including the banning of all passenger flights in and out of the country from Tuesday. |
The kingdom’s health minister said the cases included four French tourists, a Jordanian citizen who had come from the UK and another Jordanian who had been in contact with a US tourist who visited Jordan. | The kingdom’s health minister said the cases included four French tourists, a Jordanian citizen who had come from the UK and another Jordanian who had been in contact with a US tourist who visited Jordan. |
Another case, a 70-year-old man, was tested positive in Tel Aviv and had spent time in Jordan. A Canadian tourist also tested positive there shortly after she had left the kingdom, where the all-important tourism season has just started. | Another case, a 70-year-old man, was tested positive in Tel Aviv and had spent time in Jordan. A Canadian tourist also tested positive there shortly after she had left the kingdom, where the all-important tourism season has just started. |
The four French people are said to have stayed at a Dead Sea hotel. I’ve been ringing around to find out where exactly, but a staffer at one told me they had yet to be told anything and were “very worried”. | The four French people are said to have stayed at a Dead Sea hotel. I’ve been ringing around to find out where exactly, but a staffer at one told me they had yet to be told anything and were “very worried”. |
Before these new infections, the sole confirmed case was a man who had contracted the disease but recovered. Jordan has shut schools, universities, mosques, churches and tourist sites to try to contain the virus. | Before these new infections, the sole confirmed case was a man who had contracted the disease but recovered. Jordan has shut schools, universities, mosques, churches and tourist sites to try to contain the virus. |