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UK coronavirus live: deaths 'peaked on 8 April', scientists suggest UK coronavirus live: deaths 'peaked on 8 April', scientists suggest
(32 minutes later)
Death toll rises in England, Scotland and Wales; Boris Johnson to speak to Trump today – although No 10 denies he’s back at work Death toll rises in England, Scotland and Wales; MPs vote for virtual parliament sessions; Boris Johnson to speak to Trump and the Queen
Barclays is introducing temporary interest-free buffers of 750 on pre-agreed overdrafts from the start of May. Here is Damian Carrington, the Guardian’s environment editor, on the research featured earlier showing a link between higher levels of air pollution and deaths from Covid-19 in England. (See 12.44pm.)
This is more generous than the 500 interest-free overdraft buffer that many providers are offering to help borrowers cope with the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the Press Association reports. Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the Commons, has just made a short statement on the Commons business for next week. He confirms that the second reading of the immigration bill has been shelved for the moment.
Measures put in place from March 27 mean Barclays is currently waiving all interest automatically until the end of April, meaning no charges for customers on their personal arranged overdraft. Scotland’s justice secretary has announced that there will be limited release of prisoners in order to ease the pressures of coronavirus on the prison service, some weeks after equivalent moves in England and Wales.
The new 750 interest-free buffer will be in place from May 1 and will run until the end of July 9. Humza Yousaf told the socially distanced sitting at Holyrood: “After careful consideration, I will be asking the Scottish Prison Service to consider the release of a limited number of short term prisoners towards the end of their time in custody”. Describing it as a “necessary and proportionate response to the current situation”, he confirmed that around 450 prisoners with less than 3 months to serve would be eligible. Early release will not be considered for those convicted of sexual offences, terrorism offences, domestic abuse offences or Covid-19 related offences, nor will anyone with a non-harassment order be eligible.
A temporary interest rate of 19.51% will be applied to any balance over 750, Barclays said. Yousaf added that he had been speaking to local authorities to ensure that those eligible will have adequate housing and access to other support services on release. He added that he was looking into the possibilities of compassionate release for pregnant prisoners.
The new measures will be automatically applied for existing and new customers.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has already brought in measures meaning that providers are being expected to offer borrowers interest-free overdraft buffers of up to 500 for three months if their finances have been hit by coronavirus. It is estimated that the current prison population will have to come down to around 6500 to allow all prisoners to have a single cell, much preferred of course for implementing social distancing. The population, which has been vastly overcrowded over the past year, had already come down to about 7200 because of court inactivity, so a further 450 releases will take the figure nearer this target.
The FCA has also said that firms should offer a temporary payment freeze on loans and credit cards for up to three months, for consumers negatively impacted by the pandemic. Serious concerns remain for those still incarcerated, with out of cell activities at the very bare minimum and visiting suspended. The Scottish government announced last week that prisoners will be given access to mobile phones, with some security restrictions, in their cells to allow family contact.
The peak in the number of coronavirus deaths in England and Wales happened on April 8, according to scientists. As the Press Association reports, commenting on the death data released by the Office of National Statistics today, a panel convened by the Science Media Centre said the death rate had been consistent for the last 13 days. Prof Carl Heneghan, director of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine at the University of Oxford, said: Back in the Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the Commons, is winding up the debate. Responding to Sir Desmond Swayne (see 3.36pm), Rees-Mogg says he wants MPs to be able to contribute to debates. He says that, if an MP were unable to enter the chamber because the 50-person limit had been reached, he would leave the chamber himself to allow them in. He says MPs have had the right to attend parliament unimpeded since 1340. He does not want to to be the leader of the house who brings that to an end, he says.
MPs then pass the two motions by acclamation, without opposition.
A consortium of British textile firms is aiming to make millions of protective gowns to help the NHS.
Kate Hills said manufacturers had come together to form the British Textile Consortium in order to make vital personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers.
Hills, founder of Make it British, said that gowns produced by a number of consortium members were currently being tested before they could be supplied to the NHS.
Hills told the PA Media news agency that consortium members will potentially be able to produce millions of gowns a month to provide protective equipment to the health service.
Oxford has become the latest UK university to announce a raft of cost-cutting measures in response to the damage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting lockdown.
They include a 12-month recruitment freeze and a pilot furlough scheme initially in six departments, which will then be rolled out across the university, using the government’s coronavirus job retention scheme.
Oxford is one of the wealthiest institutions in the country but the lockdown has already resulted in “significant losses” of university income, which are likely to continue into 2021.
The UK higher education sector is expected to be one of the hardest hit by the pandemic. Imperial College London has already warned its staff of similar measures and universities up and down the land are frantically drawing up survival plans for the coming year.
Prof Anne Trefethen, Oxford University’s pro-vice-chancellor for people, said:
Back in the Commons chamber the Conservative MP Sir Desmond Swayne said told MPs that he was particularly worried by paragraph six of the motion (pdf) being voted on this afternoon. It says:
Swayne said it was not right to put the Speaker in the situation where he might have to decide who is and isn’t admitted to the Commons chamber. He said he knew this was just a temporary measure. But it was setting a precedent, he said. He went on:
Barclays is introducing temporary interest-free buffers of £750 on pre-agreed overdrafts from the start of May.
This is more generous than the £500 interest-free overdraft buffer that many providers are offering to help borrowers cope with the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, PA Media reports.
Measures put in place from 27 March mean Barclays is currently waiving all interest automatically until the end of April, meaning no charges for customers on their personal arranged overdraft.
The new £750 interest-free buffer will be in place from 1 May and will run until the end of 9 July.
The peak in the number of coronavirus deaths in England and Wales happened on April 8, according to scientists. As PA Media reports, commenting on the death data released by the Office of National Statistics today, a panel convened by the Science Media Centre said the death rate had been consistent for the last 13 days. Prof Carl Heneghan, director of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine at the University of Oxford, said:
But Heneghan warned there could be a lag in the number of deaths in nursing homes where figures could continue to rise, even if deaths in hospitals start to decrease. “The proportion of deaths in nursing homes could have a considerable lag going forward,” he said.But Heneghan warned there could be a lag in the number of deaths in nursing homes where figures could continue to rise, even if deaths in hospitals start to decrease. “The proportion of deaths in nursing homes could have a considerable lag going forward,” he said.
Tim Farron, the former Lib Dem leader, is urging the Treasury to stop people with second homes who rent them out being able to claim £10,000 from the fund set up to help small businesses affected by coronavirus.Tim Farron, the former Lib Dem leader, is urging the Treasury to stop people with second homes who rent them out being able to claim £10,000 from the fund set up to help small businesses affected by coronavirus.
Rapid coronavirus antibody home tests cannot currently be relied on to provide reliable results, a new study suggests.Rapid coronavirus antibody home tests cannot currently be relied on to provide reliable results, a new study suggests.
But researchers said a laboratory test called Elisa showed promising results when indicating whether someone had developed Covid-19 antibodies.But researchers said a laboratory test called Elisa showed promising results when indicating whether someone had developed Covid-19 antibodies.
The investigations were led by the National Covid Testing Scientific Advisory Panel. The authors write that there is an urgent need for robust antibody detection approaches to support diagnostics, vaccine development, safe individual release from quarantine and population lockdown exit strategies.The investigations were led by the National Covid Testing Scientific Advisory Panel. The authors write that there is an urgent need for robust antibody detection approaches to support diagnostics, vaccine development, safe individual release from quarantine and population lockdown exit strategies.
However, the early promise of lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) devices - the fingerprick-type home tests - has been questioned following concerns about sensitivity and specificity.However, the early promise of lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) devices - the fingerprick-type home tests - has been questioned following concerns about sensitivity and specificity.
In their pre-print study, the researchers tested samples from 40 people. The Elisa test detected both Covid-19 antibodies in 34 of the 40 patients, with the diagnosis confirmed with a separate test.In their pre-print study, the researchers tested samples from 40 people. The Elisa test detected both Covid-19 antibodies in 34 of the 40 patients, with the diagnosis confirmed with a separate test.
In the Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg says MPs who are in the chamber will try to observer social distancing rules. But he says there will be times when it is not possible for them to stay two metres apart from each other. But he says what matters is that they will try to observe these rules whenever practical.
Sir Desmond Swayne, a Conservative, says Rees-Mogg is referring to social distancing rules that have never been debated or explored by parliament. That is “shocking”, he says.
Rees-Mogg says MPs will get a chance to debate the rules.
And he says the new procedural rules being introduced today will only apply until 12 May.
Wales has enough personal protective equipment (PPE) to last “a few days”, the Welsh health minister Vaughan Gething told a press conference earlier. He said:
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the Commons, is now opening the debate. Asked if he will be asking the Commons to vote tomorrow on a motion calling for the introduction of electronic voting in the Commons, he declines to answer, saying that that is a matter for tomorrow.
He also says that in the immediate future the government wants to avoid calling votes on controversial motions. He says the government does not envisage the need for any divisions in the business coming up next week.
Originally MPs were meant to be voting on the immigration bill today - a contested measure that Labour would want to vote against - but that seems to have been shelved for the time being.
In the Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker, is opening this afternoon’s proceedings. He is in the chair, as normal, but there are only a small number of MPs in the chamber. (MPs have agreed that no more than 50 should be in the chamber at any time.)
Hoyle says, unusually, he is allowing two motions to be moved without the usual formal notice. They relate to coronavirus and to the plan for the Commons to move to “hybrid” proceedings - with some MPs attending in the chamber, but most participating via video conferencing.
The texts of the two motions are here (pdf).
Hoyle says he expects that today’s proceedings, which will be devoted to passing these two motions, will not take long.
The Treasury has said that by the end of yesterday there had been 185,000 applications to furlough workers under the government’s coronavirus job protection scheme. A Treasury spokesman said that 1.3m jobs had been benefited as a result, and that the value of the applications was £1.5bn.
Another 778 people in England have died from coronavirus in hospital, according to the latest daily update from NHS England, bringing the total for England to 15,607.
Patients were aged between 22 and 103, and 24 of the 778 patients had no known underlying health conditions; they were aged between 49 and 91.
The full details of today’s figures are here (pdf).
A further 25 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in Wales, bringing the total number of deaths there to 609, according to the latest update from Public Health Wales.
Because we all need more recipes without tinned tomatoes right now....
One in five UK adults expect to apply for benefits as a result of coronavirus or have already done so, according to Citizens Advice.
A survey between 2 and 7 April found this figure rose to seven in 10 (68%) people on zero-hours employment contracts.
Citizens Advice also highlighted government figures showing over 1.5 million households made a universal credit claim between 1 March and 12 April, the PA Media reports.
The charity has had nearly 2.5 million views of its online advice on employment and benefits issues since the lockdown started
It said insights from frontline advisers at Citizens Advice suggest the claims process remains problematic for some people, such as those who do not have personal identification, a bank account, or an internet connection.
Accessibility issues have been exacerbated by the necessary temporary closure of libraries and job centres, the charity said.
Almost one in six (15%) people surveyed for Citizens Advice anticipate having to borrow money from friends or family to cope with the wait before payment if they do apply for universal credit, its survey of more than 2,000 people found.
Dame Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: