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Coronavirus UK live: Lockdown could shrink GDP by 35% and see unemployment rise by 2m, says OBR | Coronavirus UK live: Lockdown could shrink GDP by 35% and see unemployment rise by 2m, says OBR |
(32 minutes later) | |
Coronavirus lockdown in the UK could last at least another month, as Dominic Raab says country has not passed the peak | Coronavirus lockdown in the UK could last at least another month, as Dominic Raab says country has not passed the peak |
In her lunchtime briefing, Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon addressed reports that private firms were prioritising the NHS in England for PPE delivery, with supplies destined for Scottish care homes being diverted to England. While earlier this morning the Scottish government’s national clinical director dismissed the reports as “rubbish”, Sturgeon appeared to take them far more seriously, describing it as “unconscionable” if the case. | |
Sturgeon said that she was not currently aware of any such issue affecting national supplies, but that it would be “completely unacceptable” if it was causing problems for individual organisations. She added that health secretary Jeane Freeman would be seeking clarification on this from her UK counterpart Matt Hancock later today. | |
As the press conference went on, Freeman revealed that Hancock had cancelled the call but emphasised how seriously she was taking the reports, and said that she would now be writing to the UK health secretary for urgent clarification. | |
Responding to the OBR’s coronavirus economic scenario, the chancellor Rishi Sunak said it was important “to be honest about the hardship ahead” and that it was clear the lockdown would have a very significant impact on the economy. | |
Reiterating that the government could not protect every job and business, he told reporters: | |
He said defeating the virus was “not a choice between health and economics – that defies common sense”. | |
Asked about the “woefully low” number of businesses who have so far managed to access funds from the government loan scheme, Sunak said banks had been working through the backlog over the Easter bank holiday weekend and the numbers should “tick up considerably into the thousands this week”. He added that acceptance rates were “reasonably high”. | |
Following the OBR’s publication of coronavirus economic scenarios, the SNP has called on the government to deliver comprehensive financial support to ensure “no one is left behind”. | |
The SNP’s leader in Westminster, Ian Blackford, underlined the need for the UK government to fix the serious gaps in the support being offered to millions of people who have lost their jobs or seen their incomes reduced. | |
He renewed calls for a guaranteed minimum income and warned the UK government against lifting the lockdown too early saying “protecting lives must be the priority”. He said: | |
Nicola Sturgeon has announced Tuesday’s daily figures for Covid-19: a further 291 positive cases, taking the total to 6358, and a further 40 deaths, taking that total to 615. | |
She added that there was likely to be a lag in figures because of under-reporting over the Easter weekend. | |
She said that we should not read too much into the fact that there were 15 fewer people with a positive diagnosis in intensive care. | |
Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald TD has confirmed that on Monday she received a positive diagnosis for Covid-19, having been tested on 28 March. She confirmed that she was no longer infectious and after weeks of feeling really unwell, expressed “great relief” at recovering from the illness.In a statement she thanked everyone who has sent their good wishes over the past number of weeks and said she hopes to be back at work next Monday. She said: | |
The former Welsh AM William Powell is now conscious and “responding to treatment” after being treated for coronavirus. He remains in intensive care, two and a half weeks after he was admitted to hospital. | The former Welsh AM William Powell is now conscious and “responding to treatment” after being treated for coronavirus. He remains in intensive care, two and a half weeks after he was admitted to hospital. |
Responding to the OBR economic scenario, Anneliese Dodds MP, the shadow chancellor, said it was clear additional action was needed to ensure take-up of the economic measures introduced by the government was increased. She said: | Responding to the OBR economic scenario, Anneliese Dodds MP, the shadow chancellor, said it was clear additional action was needed to ensure take-up of the economic measures introduced by the government was increased. She said: |
From BBC Newsnight’s Lewis Goodall | From BBC Newsnight’s Lewis Goodall |
Here is an excerpt from the report published by the Office for Budget Responsibility today looking at what impact the coronavirus lockdown could have on the economy. It says GDP could fall by 35% in the second quarter of the year. | Here is an excerpt from the report published by the Office for Budget Responsibility today looking at what impact the coronavirus lockdown could have on the economy. It says GDP could fall by 35% in the second quarter of the year. |
Here is an extract. | Here is an extract. |
One in 10 hospital nurses is off work due to coronavirus, internal NHS figures suggest. | One in 10 hospital nurses is off work due to coronavirus, internal NHS figures suggest. |
Data from the Covid-19 national operational dashboard from Saturday, seen by the Health Service Journal, show that across English acute trusts there were 28,063 Covid-19-related absences reported among nurses and midwives - 10% of a headcount of around 280,000. | Data from the Covid-19 national operational dashboard from Saturday, seen by the Health Service Journal, show that across English acute trusts there were 28,063 Covid-19-related absences reported among nurses and midwives - 10% of a headcount of around 280,000. |
This could include staff who have symptoms themselves or those who are in isolation due to someone in their home showing signs of illness. | This could include staff who have symptoms themselves or those who are in isolation due to someone in their home showing signs of illness. |
The news comes as the NHS has increased testing capacity to include family members of health service staff and ministers said they are “confident” the government will achieve its target of 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of the month. | The news comes as the NHS has increased testing capacity to include family members of health service staff and ministers said they are “confident” the government will achieve its target of 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of the month. |
The Health Service Journal story is here. | The Health Service Journal story is here. |
From Sky’s economics editor Ed Conway | From Sky’s economics editor Ed Conway |
A serious concern since the emergence of Covid-19 has been whether those who have had it can get it a second time – and what that means for exiting this crisis. | A serious concern since the emergence of Covid-19 has been whether those who have had it can get it a second time – and what that means for exiting this crisis. |
In this video explainer, the Guardian’s science correspondent Hannah Devlin looks at how our bodies fight coronavirus when infected, how we develop immunity and if we can get reinfected with Covid-19. | In this video explainer, the Guardian’s science correspondent Hannah Devlin looks at how our bodies fight coronavirus when infected, how we develop immunity and if we can get reinfected with Covid-19. |
The ONS has also published a separate report today explaining in detail how its coronavirus death figures differ from the Department for Health and Social Care’s. Nick Stripe, head of health analysis and life events at the ONS said: | The ONS has also published a separate report today explaining in detail how its coronavirus death figures differ from the Department for Health and Social Care’s. Nick Stripe, head of health analysis and life events at the ONS said: |
Sky’s Ed Conway has another graph illustrating the ONS figures showing how the death rate is now soaring above what is normal for this time of year. (See 11.41am.) | Sky’s Ed Conway has another graph illustrating the ONS figures showing how the death rate is now soaring above what is normal for this time of year. (See 11.41am.) |