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| UK coronavirus live: Hancock says contact tracing system in place 'in weeks' as death toll rises by 759 | UK coronavirus live: Hancock says contact tracing system in place 'in weeks' as death toll rises by 759 |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Today’s rise takes UK hospital death toll to 18,100, as health secretary says 15 social care staff are among those to die with Covid-19 | Today’s rise takes UK hospital death toll to 18,100, as health secretary says 15 social care staff are among those to die with Covid-19 |
| There have now been 309,000 applications for the government to pay the wages of furloughed staff through its coronavirus job retention scheme, Downing Street has said. That means 2.2m workers could benefit, it says. The scheme opened on Monday. | |
| Hundreds of asylum seekers in Glasgow have been given less than an hour’s notice to pack up their flats before being moved into city centre hotels, where they claim social distancing is “impossible”, our colleague Libby Brooks reports. | |
| The day after announcing limited prisoner release to ease pressure in Scotland’s jails, justice secretary Humza Yousaf has been challenged on emergency amendments that extend 24 hours a day detention and lift requirements for clean clothes. | |
| The head of the Scottish Human Rights Commission, Judith Robertson, and the Scottish prisons’ inspector, Wendy Sinclair, met Yousaf earlier today to raise significant human rights concerns about the amendments to prison rules. | |
| Robertson told the Guardian: | |
| The pair also raised issues around oversight and scrutiny, as well inconsistent practise around different prisons. | |
| There are already serious concerns about prisoners’ well-being after family visits were suspended and exercise and other activities severely restricted because of social distancing. The Scottish government announced plans to provide phones in cells last week, with some necessary security restrictions. | |
| The Department for Health and Social Care has just published the latest daily UK coronavirus hospital death figures. There have been 759 new deaths, taking the total to 18,100. | The Department for Health and Social Care has just published the latest daily UK coronavirus hospital death figures. There have been 759 new deaths, taking the total to 18,100. |
| The full details are here. | The full details are here. |
| Yesterday the daily rise was 823. | Yesterday the daily rise was 823. |
| The Guardian’s latest Politics Weekly podcast is out. Jonathan Freedland and guests discuss a historic week in Parliament, as Prime Minister’s Questions goes “virtual”, and Larry Elliott speaks to the Enlightened Economist, Diane Coyle, about the potential for economic reform post-pandemic. | The Guardian’s latest Politics Weekly podcast is out. Jonathan Freedland and guests discuss a historic week in Parliament, as Prime Minister’s Questions goes “virtual”, and Larry Elliott speaks to the Enlightened Economist, Diane Coyle, about the potential for economic reform post-pandemic. |
| NHS England has announced 665 further deaths of people who tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 16,272. The full figures are here (pdf). | NHS England has announced 665 further deaths of people who tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 16,272. The full figures are here (pdf). |
| Of the 665 new deaths announced today:- 119 occurred on 21 April- 254 occurred on 20 April- 108 occurred on 19 April | Of the 665 new deaths announced today:- 119 occurred on 21 April- 254 occurred on 20 April- 108 occurred on 19 April |
| The figures also show 175 of the new deaths recorded took place between 1-18 April, and the remaining nine deaths occurred in March, with the earliest new recorded death taking place on 22 March. | The figures also show 175 of the new deaths recorded took place between 1-18 April, and the remaining nine deaths occurred in March, with the earliest new recorded death taking place on 22 March. |
| NHS England releases updated figures each day showing the dates of every coronavirus-related death in hospitals in England, often including previously uncounted deaths that took place several days or even weeks ago. This is because of the time it takes for deaths to be confirmed as having tested positive for Covid-19, for post-mortem examinations to be processed, and for data from the tests to be validated. | NHS England releases updated figures each day showing the dates of every coronavirus-related death in hospitals in England, often including previously uncounted deaths that took place several days or even weeks ago. This is because of the time it takes for deaths to be confirmed as having tested positive for Covid-19, for post-mortem examinations to be processed, and for data from the tests to be validated. |
| The figures published today by NHS England show 8 April currently has the highest total for the most hospital deaths occurring on a single day: 828. | The figures published today by NHS England show 8 April currently has the highest total for the most hospital deaths occurring on a single day: 828. |
| Public Health Wales has announced another 15 people have died in Wales after testing positive for Covid-19, bringing the total there to 624. | Public Health Wales has announced another 15 people have died in Wales after testing positive for Covid-19, bringing the total there to 624. |
| A further 274 cases were confirmed, bringing the total number to 8,124. A total of 28,088 tests have now been carried out. | A further 274 cases were confirmed, bringing the total number to 8,124. A total of 28,088 tests have now been carried out. |
| Further information here. | Further information here. |
| Thank you so much to everybody who has been in touch so far today with tips and suggestions for the live blog. If you have any ideas or stories, do feel free to message me via the usual channels (below) and apologies if I cannot reply to you all individually. | Thank you so much to everybody who has been in touch so far today with tips and suggestions for the live blog. If you have any ideas or stories, do feel free to message me via the usual channels (below) and apologies if I cannot reply to you all individually. |
| Email: lucy.campbell@theguardian.comTwitter: @lucy_campbell_ | Email: lucy.campbell@theguardian.comTwitter: @lucy_campbell_ |
| During PMQs Sir Ed Davey, the acting Lib Dem leader, called for a judge-led inquiry into the government’s handling of coronavirus. Dominic Raab said he did not agree, saying people would expect the government to be focusing now on handling the crisis. | During PMQs Sir Ed Davey, the acting Lib Dem leader, called for a judge-led inquiry into the government’s handling of coronavirus. Dominic Raab said he did not agree, saying people would expect the government to be focusing now on handling the crisis. |
| In a post-PMQs briefing, Keir Starmer’s spokesman also said the time was not right for an inquiry. The spokesman said: | In a post-PMQs briefing, Keir Starmer’s spokesman also said the time was not right for an inquiry. The spokesman said: |
| Ken Clarke, the former Tory chancellor, said he expects it will take several years for the UK economy to recover from the pandemic – and even then it won’t “bounce back” to where it was. He told BBC Radio 4’s World at One today: | Ken Clarke, the former Tory chancellor, said he expects it will take several years for the UK economy to recover from the pandemic – and even then it won’t “bounce back” to where it was. He told BBC Radio 4’s World at One today: |
| Labour’s Maria Eagle asks if there is a link between Liverpool having a higher than average incidence of coronavirus and the government’s decision to allow the Liverpool v Atlético Madrid match to go ahead on 11 March. The government’s deputy chief scientific adviser has said there might be a link. Does the government think there is a connection? | Labour’s Maria Eagle asks if there is a link between Liverpool having a higher than average incidence of coronavirus and the government’s decision to allow the Liverpool v Atlético Madrid match to go ahead on 11 March. The government’s deputy chief scientific adviser has said there might be a link. Does the government think there is a connection? |
| Hancock says that is a question for the scientists. | Hancock says that is a question for the scientists. |
| And that’s the end of the Hancock statement. | And that’s the end of the Hancock statement. |
| The UK has signed an agreement with Greece to clamp down on migrant crossings in the east Mediterranean, the Home Office has announced. | The UK has signed an agreement with Greece to clamp down on migrant crossings in the east Mediterranean, the Home Office has announced. |
| A significant proportion of undocumented migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa who seek to reach the UK first pass through Greece on their journey across Europe. | A significant proportion of undocumented migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa who seek to reach the UK first pass through Greece on their journey across Europe. |
| The Home Office said the joint action plan, signed by the UK and Greek governments, is designed to tighten asylum and returns processes, enhance work to dismantle migrant smuggling networks and renews the deployment of a Border Force cutter, a patrol vessel that picks up migrants in the Mediterranean. | The Home Office said the joint action plan, signed by the UK and Greek governments, is designed to tighten asylum and returns processes, enhance work to dismantle migrant smuggling networks and renews the deployment of a Border Force cutter, a patrol vessel that picks up migrants in the Mediterranean. |
| Chris Philp, the minister for immigration compliance, said: | Chris Philp, the minister for immigration compliance, said: |
| This is from the Labour MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan | This is from the Labour MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan |
| She has repeatedly urged the UK government to bring its advice in line with that of the World Health Organization, which recommends self-isolation for 14 days as you can still spread the virus after the symptoms have resolved. | She has repeatedly urged the UK government to bring its advice in line with that of the World Health Organization, which recommends self-isolation for 14 days as you can still spread the virus after the symptoms have resolved. |
| Labour’s Barry Sheerman, appearing via Zoom, tells Hancock that the “management and leadership of this present crisis has been shambolic”. He says the UK has lagged behind Germany and that a death toll of around 800 people (the daily figure at certain points) is equivalent to two jumbo jets crashing. | Labour’s Barry Sheerman, appearing via Zoom, tells Hancock that the “management and leadership of this present crisis has been shambolic”. He says the UK has lagged behind Germany and that a death toll of around 800 people (the daily figure at certain points) is equivalent to two jumbo jets crashing. |
| He also claims that NHS whistleblowers have been leant on not to tell the truth about conditions in the NHS. He goes on: | He also claims that NHS whistleblowers have been leant on not to tell the truth about conditions in the NHS. He goes on: |
| Hancock says Sheerman had misjudged his tone, and missed what the government was doing. The prime goals were to flatten the curve, and to ensure the NHS was not overwhelmed. Both of those challenges had so far been met, he says. | Hancock says Sheerman had misjudged his tone, and missed what the government was doing. The prime goals were to flatten the curve, and to ensure the NHS was not overwhelmed. Both of those challenges had so far been met, he says. |
| And he says Sheerman is wrong to say whistleblowers have been silenced. | And he says Sheerman is wrong to say whistleblowers have been silenced. |