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UK coronavirus live: NHS frontline staff may walk out over lack of PPE, says union UK coronavirus live: NHS frontline staff may walk out over lack of PPE, says union
(32 minutes later)
Surveys reveal medics’ concerns about pressures to work without protection. Follow this and all the day’s developments in the UK’s Covid-19 crisisSurveys reveal medics’ concerns about pressures to work without protection. Follow this and all the day’s developments in the UK’s Covid-19 crisis
Unapproved antibody tests could increase people’s risk of becoming infected with coronavirus, the UK’s national testing coordinator has warned. Arcadia Group may permanently shut down stores amid Covid-19 crisis
Countries around the globe are scrambling to develop reliable antibody tests that can detect if people have had the virus and may be immune, in the hope that this might allow for a loosening of lockdown restrictions – so far without success. Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia Group – whose brands include Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Miss Selfridge – could permanently shut down some of its shops as the coronavirus pandemic takes a toll on high street retailers.
Reports have emerged that organisations and individuals are trying to acquire tests, with many of these testing kits likely to yield false results. The fashion group has served notice on its landlords to walk away from stores whose leases have rolling breaks or are due to expire.
John Newton, the national coordinator of the UK coronavirus testing programme, believes efforts to develop accurate tests look promising, but said that “misleading” results of unapproved tests could increase the risk of becoming ill or spreading the virus. Here is the full report:
Undocumented migrants are being deterred from seeking medical attention during the coronavirus pandemic for fear of being reported to immigration authorities, MPs have said.
A cross-party group of 60 MPs has written to the health secretary, Matt Hancock, calling for the suspension of healthcare charges for migrants and NHS data sharing with immigration enforcement.
The letter cites the case of a Filipino migrant, known only as Elvis, who died last week while self-isolating at home with Covid-19 symptoms.
He did not seek care “fearing that he would be charged thousands of pounds for his treatment, or that he would face immigration enforcement if he tried to access care,” it read.
MPs said that Elvis’s wife also had the virus and was not seeking help for the same reasons.
Bell Ribeiro-Addy, one of three Labour MPs who coordinated the letter, said:
Unapproved antibody tests could increase people’s risk of becoming infected with coronavirus, the UK’s national testing coordinator has said.
Countries around the globe are scrambling to develop reliable antibody tests that can detect if people have had the virus and may be immune in the hope that it might allow lockdown restrictions to be eased, but efforts so far have been unsuccessful.
Reports have emerged that organisations and individuals are trying to acquire testing kits that are likely to yield false results.
John Newton, the national coordinator of the UK coronavirus testing programme, believes efforts to develop accurate tests look promising, but said that misleading results of unapproved tests could increase the risk of becoming ill or spreading the virus.
My colleague Jedidajah Otte has the full report:My colleague Jedidajah Otte has the full report:
Tributes have been paid to a staff member at Greater Manchester police who died after contracting Covid-19.Tributes have been paid to a staff member at Greater Manchester police who died after contracting Covid-19.
Marcia Pryce, 61, died on 2 April. She had worked for the force for more than 30 years, most recently in its intelligence bureau.Marcia Pryce, 61, died on 2 April. She had worked for the force for more than 30 years, most recently in its intelligence bureau.
Her sister, Amira Asantewa, said:Her sister, Amira Asantewa, said:
Hundreds of Britons stuck in Bangladesh will be repatriated after the government chartered four flights as part of a new push to to bring more than 7,000 UK citizens home from South Asia.Hundreds of Britons stuck in Bangladesh will be repatriated after the government chartered four flights as part of a new push to to bring more than 7,000 UK citizens home from South Asia.
Those deemed most at risk from coronavirus, such as the sick and elderly, will be given priority, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said.Those deemed most at risk from coronavirus, such as the sick and elderly, will be given priority, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said.
As many as 850 Britons are expected to board the flights, which will leave the capital, Dhaka, for London on 21, 23, 25 and 26 April, the FCO said.As many as 850 Britons are expected to board the flights, which will leave the capital, Dhaka, for London on 21, 23, 25 and 26 April, the FCO said.
Tickets will cost £600 a person and travellers will also be able to board transfer flights to the capital from Sylhet, in the north-east of the country.Tickets will cost £600 a person and travellers will also be able to board transfer flights to the capital from Sylhet, in the north-east of the country.
The government had earlier announced 17 chartered flights from India and 10 from Pakistan, expected to bring home around 4,000 and 2,500 passengers respectively.The government had earlier announced 17 chartered flights from India and 10 from Pakistan, expected to bring home around 4,000 and 2,500 passengers respectively.
The services are being part-funded by the government’s £75m scheme to organise flights from countries where commercial flights have been stopped due to the coronavirus pandemic.The services are being part-funded by the government’s £75m scheme to organise flights from countries where commercial flights have been stopped due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Britons wanting to book a spot can do so here.Britons wanting to book a spot can do so here.
This is from ITV’s Robert Peston.This is from ITV’s Robert Peston.
Thank you so much to everybody who has been in touch throughout the morning with tips and suggestions. I love reading through them all, especially the ones thanking the Guardian for its coverage of this crisis. Please do continue to get in touch as the day goes on via the usual channels (below) and apologies if I cannot respond to you all individually.Thank you so much to everybody who has been in touch throughout the morning with tips and suggestions. I love reading through them all, especially the ones thanking the Guardian for its coverage of this crisis. Please do continue to get in touch as the day goes on via the usual channels (below) and apologies if I cannot respond to you all individually.
Email: lucy.campbell@theguardian.comTwitter: @lucy_campbell_Email: lucy.campbell@theguardian.comTwitter: @lucy_campbell_
This, from the FT’s Peter Foster, is one of the best things you will read today. In essence:This, from the FT’s Peter Foster, is one of the best things you will read today. In essence:
DC John Coker has died in hospital after coming down with symptoms of coronavirus on 22 March, British Transport Police said.DC John Coker has died in hospital after coming down with symptoms of coronavirus on 22 March, British Transport Police said.
In a statement, BTP Chief Constable Paul Crowther said his thoughts were with Coker’s family after the 53-year-old passed away last night following an “incredibly difficult” three weeks. He said:In a statement, BTP Chief Constable Paul Crowther said his thoughts were with Coker’s family after the 53-year-old passed away last night following an “incredibly difficult” three weeks. He said:
He is survived by his wife and their three children.He is survived by his wife and their three children.
NHS frontline staff may refuse to work if there is not enough personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure their safety, the UK’s biggest union has warned.
The warning came in response to new guidance from Public Health England, revealed by the Guardian on Friday, which instructs healthcare workers to reuse disposable PPE. The guidelines also recommended that medics wear aprons if they are unable to access full-length gowns, and there are concerns that some PPE supplies are close to running out.
Sara Gorton, the head of health at Unison, said:
Here is the full story.
The Queen’s birthday on Tuesday will not be marked by gun salutes for what is believed will be the first time, due to the coronavirus crisis, PA Media news agency reports.
A Buckingham Palace source said the Queen’s 94th birthday will not be marked in any special way, adding that any calls with family will be kept private. The source said:
This is from the foreign secretary (or rather, his son).
The government’s programme to release up to 4,000 low-risk prisoners early to help jails cope with coronavirus has been paused after six inmates were freed by mistake.
The inmates were candidates for early release but were let out too soon because of an “administrative error”, the Ministry of Justice said. After the flaw was spotted, they all “returned compliantly to prison”, a spokeswoman added.
The scheme, designed to avoid thousands of often cell-sharing inmates becoming infected, was paused on Thursday and is due to resume next week.
Coronavirus cases have been confirmed in half of the prisons in England and Wales. A total of 255 prisoners had tested positive for Covid-19 in 62 jails as of 5pm on Thursday, the MoJ said, and 13 inmates had died.
Some 138 prison staff have also contracted the virus in 49 prisons, as well as seven prisoner escort and custody services staff. And 700 staff have been tested and 6,268 are self-isolating, according to the latest available figures.
The inmates were let out of two open category D prisons – Leyhill in Gloucestershire and Sudbury in Derbyshire – along with one inmate from the Isis category C prison for young offenders in south-east London.
The shadow justice secretary David Lammy said the error was “deeply troubling” and called for it to be “quickly understood and remedied”.
The culture secretary Oliver Dowden has asked the public to “add one small thing” to their to-do list and buy a newspaper as the press grapples “with the biggest existential crisis in its history”.
The newspaper business has come under increasing strain amid the coronavirus pandemic, with falling advertising revenue and declining circulation.
Two of the UK’s biggest publishers have cut wages for staff in the latest round of measures to mitigate the impact of the crisis. The Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT), which owns the Mail, Metro and the i newspaper titles, has imposed a pay cut on all staff earning more than £40,000 a year. And Reach, the owner of the Mirror and Express papers, said all staff will receive a pay cut of at least 10% due to heavy falls in advertising and circulation.
Dowden has also instructed brands including Sky, Amazon and Tesco to end “ad-blocking” on online news articles about the pandemic and allow their adverts to appear next to coronavirus news stories.
The Times (paywall) has the story.
Human trials of a potential vaccine have begun at Oxford University and trials could be completed by mid-August, Prof John Bell told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning.
Bell, who is a member of the government’s vaccine taskforce, said the possibility of a vaccine being produced by the autumn depended on efficacy. He said:
He said it would be “game on” if they were to see evidence of a strong immune response by the middle or end of May, with the possibility of getting “across the finish line” by mid-August. However, there would then be the challenge of manufacturing at scale the billions of doses needed.
The push to develop a vaccine quickly was based on scientists wanting to test it on current cases, Bell added. He said:
Good morning everybody. Thousands of doctors and nurses are concerned about inadequate supplies of personal protection equipment (PPE) amid fears some hospitals could run out entirely this weekend.
A British Medical Association survey of more than 6,000 doctors across the country said a significant amount of them remain without the protection they need to guard against Covid-19. Meanwhile another survey by the Royal College of Nursing found half of nurses have felt pressure to work without appropriate protective equipment during the crisis.
It comes after it was revealed that doctors and nurses in England will be asked to work without full-length gowns and to reuse items when treating patients with coronavirus ahead of expected shortages of protective garments, prompting outrage from unions.
The story, from our health editor Denis Campbell, is on the Guardian’s front page today. The U-turn on Public Health England guidelines saw doctors and nurses told to work without full-length protective gowns – and to use flimsy plastic aprons instead – when treating patients with Covid-19, as hospitals came within hours of running out of supplies. The full story is here.
On Friday, the health secretary Matt Hancock told the Commons health committee that he would “love to be able to wave a magic wand” to increase PPE supplies. He said the equipment was a “precious resource” and that maintaining supplies was challenging due to the very high global demand.
At least 50 NHS workers have now died after contracting the virus. Here are some of their stories.
We’ll be bringing you all the latest UK coronavirus developments as the day unfolds. As ever, if you’d like to get in touch with a story, comments, tips or suggestions, please feel free to email me at lucy.campbell@theguardian.com or message me on Twitter, I’m on @lucy_campbell_.