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UK coronavirus live: London hospitals seeing 'continuous tsunami' of patients, says NHS leader UK coronavirus live: London hospitals seeing 'continuous tsunami' of patients, says NHS leader
(32 minutes later)
Rolling coverage of all the latest UK coronavirus developmentsRolling coverage of all the latest UK coronavirus developments
Rick Stein has refused to to pay his workers’ wages for over a month while his restaurants are closed. The NHS in Wales has issued around 3.5m extra pieces of PPE (personal protective equipment) to staff from its pandemic supplies, the chief executive of NHS Wales, Dr Andrew Goodall, said. This includes face-masks, gloves and clothing.
According to the Daily Mail, the celebrity chef and tv presenter told staff across the 14 sites they would not be paid until the end of April when the government is scheduled to pay wage subsidies to businesses that have shut down. Goodall told a press conference in Cardiff this had gone to hospitals, GP surgeries and social care workers.
The Welsh chief medical officer, Dr Frank Atherton, said PPE was a “scarce resource” and added: “We can’t afford to misuse it.”
Atherton said that from tomorrow 800 people in Wales would be tested for Covid-19 a day. This would increase to 1,100 by next week and from 2-3,000 by the end of April.
Atherton also re-stated that most people would get the virus. “The estimates were and still are that 80% of us will get the infection at some point,” he said.
The Mayor of London’s press office has said early-morning tube use was down by another 13% on Thursday compared to yesterday, while early-morning bus usage in the capital was down by a further 8%.
It added that compared to this time last year, tube passengers were down by a whopping 92%.
In the comments some readers have been asking about the fact that the government released the UK coronavirus death figures yesterday much later than usual, and that the increase on the previous day (41) was much lower than the previous day’s increase (87).
According to Newsnight’s Nicholas Watt, that is because the government is changing the way it is compiling the figures.
The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital is asking for donations of food, drink and toiletries for its workforce during the coronavirus outbreak.
Requested donations from the hospital’s charity include tea, coffee, snacks, deodorant and toothpaste for those who may have to sleep over.
The supplies will go to those working around the clock at the children’s hospital, as well as Manchester Royal Infirmary, Wythenshawe Hospital and Trafford General.
A statement posted on the charity’s website said: “We are calling on businesses across our region to donate specific items to support the wellbeing of our committed NHS workforce during these unprecedented times.
“Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital is part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. Our Trust is one of the largest in the country, with more than 20,000 staff working across nine hospitals and community services across the City of Manchester and Trafford. We are all working together to make sure our extended hospital family can continue to care for yours.”
They asked those who could donate items to contact the charity on 0161 276 4522 or charity.office@mft.nhs.uk.
John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, is saying that the Treasury employment support package for the self-employed being announced by the government this afternoon must include measures that can be delivered quickly. In a statement he said:
As McDonnell knows, the Treasury is unlikely to be able to meet this condition. In the Commons on Tuesday, Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, said that although he planned to announce a scheme for the self-employed this week, implementing it would take longer because it might require a new system to be constructed.
According to a preview in today’s Times, the scheme being announced today is likely to be targeted at those who earn less than £50,000 a year. The Times (paywall) reports:
But the Sun has had a different steer. It reports:
Before the announcement, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has published a briefing explaining why the self-employed are particularly vulnerable. It says:
A rise in the number of domestic abuse incidents during the lockdown has already been observed, according to a Greater Manchester police leader.
Beverley Hughes, the deputy mayor for policing and crime, said there had been cases of abuse linked to the coronavirus outbreak and the force was anticipating more serious incidents.
Speaking during an online press conference with the region’s Covid-19 emergency committee, Lady Hughes said:
She added that Greater Manchester police had also noted a small rise in the number of hate crimes.
Rick Stein has refused to to pay his workers’ wages for over a month while his restaurants are closed, according to the Daily Mail.
The Mail reports that the celebrity chef and TV presenter told staff across the 14 sites they would not be paid until the end of April when the government is scheduled to pay wage subsidies to businesses that have shut down.
The news comes after Gordon Ramsay came under fire for laying off more than 500 staff members at his string of restaurants amid the coronavirus crisis.The news comes after Gordon Ramsay came under fire for laying off more than 500 staff members at his string of restaurants amid the coronavirus crisis.
The proximity of south-east Wales to the English border is believed to be one of the reasons behind a cluster of Covid-19 cases there, the Welsh chief medical officer has said.The proximity of south-east Wales to the English border is believed to be one of the reasons behind a cluster of Covid-19 cases there, the Welsh chief medical officer has said.
Frank Atherton added that there may be more cases in the area because more testing has been done there. He said: “As the epidemic unfolds, there will be areas that will flare up and calm down.”Frank Atherton added that there may be more cases in the area because more testing has been done there. He said: “As the epidemic unfolds, there will be areas that will flare up and calm down.”
Atherton was responding to a warning by Dr Sarah Aitken, the director of public health at the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.Atherton was responding to a warning by Dr Sarah Aitken, the director of public health at the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.
There have been 309 cases in board’s area compared with 628 for the whole of Wales.There have been 309 cases in board’s area compared with 628 for the whole of Wales.
Asked about Aitken’s warning at a Welsh government press conference on Thursday morning, Atherton said: “It is closer to England. The hot spot in the UK is around London and so being on the border with England is an issue. The second reason is there has been a lot more testing in that health board. The fact that we have been doing more testing has led to an increase in the number of cases identified.Asked about Aitken’s warning at a Welsh government press conference on Thursday morning, Atherton said: “It is closer to England. The hot spot in the UK is around London and so being on the border with England is an issue. The second reason is there has been a lot more testing in that health board. The fact that we have been doing more testing has led to an increase in the number of cases identified.
“The virus is circulating in all parts of Wales. At the moment it may be circulating to a higher degree in south Wales but that may change over time.”“The virus is circulating in all parts of Wales. At the moment it may be circulating to a higher degree in south Wales but that may change over time.”
The Department for Work and Pensions has published a report today (pdf) on households living in poverty, looking at the trends going up to 2018-19. Its headline finding is that “median household income before housing costs (BHC) decreased slightly between 2017/18 and 2018/19 and was flat after housing costs”.The Department for Work and Pensions has published a report today (pdf) on households living in poverty, looking at the trends going up to 2018-19. Its headline finding is that “median household income before housing costs (BHC) decreased slightly between 2017/18 and 2018/19 and was flat after housing costs”.
Pascale Bourquin, a researcher at the Institute for Fiscal Studies who has published an analysis of the figures (pdf), said:Pascale Bourquin, a researcher at the Institute for Fiscal Studies who has published an analysis of the figures (pdf), said:
Co-op has announced new measures to enforce social distancing in its stores.Co-op has announced new measures to enforce social distancing in its stores.
The retailer has introduced tactics including floor markers which will define a one-metre distance throughout the store, and two-metre spacing for customer queues across its 2,600 stores.The retailer has introduced tactics including floor markers which will define a one-metre distance throughout the store, and two-metre spacing for customer queues across its 2,600 stores.
It will also aim to limit the number of customers in stores at any one time as well as reducing the number of tills open, to encourage greater distance between shoppers.It will also aim to limit the number of customers in stores at any one time as well as reducing the number of tills open, to encourage greater distance between shoppers.
Chris Whitfield, the Co-op’s chief operating officer, said: “The safety and wellbeing of our colleagues is our priority and we fully support the need for social distancing.Chris Whitfield, the Co-op’s chief operating officer, said: “The safety and wellbeing of our colleagues is our priority and we fully support the need for social distancing.
“We have introduced a number of measures in store, which will be reviewed on a daily basis, and we thank our customers for their understanding and support.”“We have introduced a number of measures in store, which will be reviewed on a daily basis, and we thank our customers for their understanding and support.”
Banks are under pressure to revise the fineprint of emergency coronavirus loans that mean business owners could be personally liable for government-backed debts.The government and banking industry have been criticised after it emerged some company owners had been told they must give personal guarantees to access the taxpayer-backed loans.
The terms of the loans mean that banks can seek to seize assets owned by directors if their business fails and they cannot pay back the emergency loan.
Although it is believed this would not include their personal home, banks could seize other business or personal assets including second homes.
The coronavirus business interruption loans scheme is designed to offer hard-hit companies up to £5m interest-free for the first year to help support their businesses.
The government has pledged to guarantee 80% of the risk of the bank loans as an incentive for banking giants to lend to those in difficulty.
Royal Bank of Scotland, which owns Natwest, raised pressure on rivals including Barclays and HSBC to follow suit, after it said it would not be asking for personal guarantees for business interruption loans.
According to Matt Hancock, the health secretary, more than 500,000 people have now expressed interest in joining the NHS volunteer responders scheme. Yesterday afternoon the figure was 405.000.
NHS leaders are identifying staff to be imminently deployed to the new 4,000-bed temporary hospital being set up to treat seriously ill coronavirus patients.
Health secretary Matt Hancock announced earlier this week that the ExCeL centre in east London would become a field hospital. The site will have two wards of 2,000 beds to cope with any dramatic increase of patients in the capital.
On Wednesday, the Health Service Journal (HSJ) reported that leaders were “urgently” locating staff who could be posted at NHS Nightingale.
An email from a London trust chief executive to staff, seen by the news service, said a response was needed within hours and accommodation would be provided to workers if necessary.
It added: “The urgency in identifying staff is to allow time for training to take place before opening to patients.”
Required workers at the hospital include consultants, GPs and critical care nurses, as well as non-clinical staff such as porters and administrators.
The Today programme also interviewed Prof Neil Ferguson, the lead author on the Imperial College paper that persuaded the government to drastically escalate its social distancing strategy. Repeating a point he made in evidence to the Commons science committee yesterday, he said he thought the NHS would now be able to cope with the peak of the coronavirus epidemic, which he said would come in about three weeks’ time. He told the programme:
London hospitals are facing a “continuous tsunami” of seriously-ill patients because of coronavirus, a health service leader said this morning. Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, used the phrase in an interview on the Today programme. Commenting on the situation in London, he said:
Hopson said that, while extra capacity was being brought in - including 4,000 beds at the ExCeL centre in London’s Docklands - hospital chief executives are concerned that it will be used up “very, very quickly”.
The government has ordered 10,000 ventilators to help tackle the coronavirus pandemic, billionaire entrepreneur Sir James Dyson has said. As PA Media reports, in an email to staff, the inventor said his eponymous company designed the “CoVent” at the request of Boris Johnson, and promised to donate 5,000 to the international relief effort. Dyson said teams of engineers had been working solidly on the design since receiving the call from PM 10 days ago, and the UK government had placed an initial order of 10,000 units. He added:
The company is now waiting for the design to receive regulatory approval so manufacturing can commence.
Created in partnership with Cambridge-based science engineering firm TTP, the new ventilator had to be safe, effective, efficient in conserving oxygen and portable, Dyson said. It also had to be bed-mounted, easy to use and not require a fixed air supply. The battery-powered machine has been designed for use in different settings, including field hospitals and when patients are being transported, PA reports.
In his email Dyson went on:
John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, wants the government and the media to name and shame companies that are forcing people to go into work for non-essential business.
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has been criticised by ministers in recent days for not running more services on the tube (leading to some carriages being crowded, increasing the coronavirus transmission risk). This morning he has been tweeting to say that he cannot run more services, and to thank Londoners for reducing their uses of buses and the tube this week.
Hospital car parking charges are to be waived for all NHS and social care staff in England while they tackle the coronavirus outbreak, health secretary Matt Hancock announced last night.
The move follows huge public support for an online petition calling on the government to suspend charges for frontline staff during the Covid-19 outbreak, which attracted over 415,000 signatures in four days.
The government has now given funding to all NHS trusts in England allow charges - typically between £50 and £250 a month - at their hospitals and sites to be dropped.
Dr Anthony Gallagher, who started the petition, told signatories:
Hancock said:
Good morning. Today we’re expecting the Treasury to release details of its plan to support the self-employed who are losing work because of the coronavirus crisis. Here is an extract from our overnight preview story.
And here is our full story.
Here is the agenda for the day.
Morning: The Commons health committee is taking evidence via video conference from Public Health England, the BMA, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and from care sector representatives about coronavirus. The hearing is not being screened live, but it is due to be broadcast on the Parliament Live TV channel at some point after 11.30am.
Afternoon: Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, is expected to announce details of his plan to offer income support to the self-employed at the government’s daily press conference.
At some point today Boris Johnson will also be taking part in a video-conference summit with other G20 leaders.
We will be covering all UK coronavirus developments throughout the day. You can read all the latest Guardian coronavirus articles here, you can read all the latest Guardian politics articles here and here is the Politico Europe roundup of this morning’s political news.
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