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Coronavirus UK: test slots run out for second day running – latest updates Coronavirus UK: test slots run out for second day running – latest updates
(32 minutes later)
Questions over independence of Sage group come as UK death toll nears 20,000Questions over independence of Sage group come as UK death toll nears 20,000
Chelsea Football Club have announced they will not furlough any full-time staff and that they continue to be paid 100% of their wages.
In a statement, several weeks after Liverpool reversed a controversial decision to put around 200 non-playing staff on furlough, Chelsea – thought to be one of the 10 most richest football clubs in the world – said they were not planning to make any staff redundant and that match day staff employed directly would be “compensated as if we had been operating as normal”.
Liverpool sparked outrage after they announced they would follow Newcastle, Tottenham, Norwich and Bournemouth in using the coronavirus job retention scheme to cover 80% of wages due to staff whose work has stopped since the football calendar was suspended on 13 March.
The Premier League leaders had confirmed they would pay the remaining 20% to those on furlough, with almost 90 of those affected working in the club stores, and would consider reimbursing monies received at a later date.
Low-cost airline Wizz Air has announced plans to resume flights from Luton Airport on 1 May.
The airline said it would implement measures to encourage physical distancing, as well as enhancing cleanliness on board. Destinations will include Budapest, Lisbon and Tenerife.
Owain Jones, managing director of Wizz Air UK, said:
This week, the Ryanair chief executive, Michael O’Leary, said that its planes would not return to the sky if the airline had to leave middle seats empty. He told the Financial Times:
Downing Street has removed China from a list of nations from which it draws international comparisons over the spread of coronavirus amid concerns about the accuracy of the country’s figures, according to the Times.
Tom Tugendhat, the Conservative chair of the foreign affairs select committee, said:
A government spokeswoman said:
Although not a major revision, an additional 40 previously unreported coronavirus deaths occurred in England and Wales in March, according to official backdated figures that suggested almost one in five coronavirus deaths are occurring outside hospitals.
It has also been reported that people who have died in the UK and had Covid-19 mentioned on their death certificates have been underreported.
In case you missed it, here is the exclusive story from the Guardian’s environment editor Damian Carrington that coronavirus has been detected on particles of air pollution by scientists investigating whether this could enable infections at longer distances.In case you missed it, here is the exclusive story from the Guardian’s environment editor Damian Carrington that coronavirus has been detected on particles of air pollution by scientists investigating whether this could enable infections at longer distances.
The research is still in its infancy but other research has indicated correlations between increased Covid-19 deaths and higher levels of air pollution before the pandemic. And long-term exposure to dirty air is known to damage lung health, which could make people more vulnerable to Covid-19.The research is still in its infancy but other research has indicated correlations between increased Covid-19 deaths and higher levels of air pollution before the pandemic. And long-term exposure to dirty air is known to damage lung health, which could make people more vulnerable to Covid-19.
Matt Hancock has shared a picture of himself taking part in the clinical trial to establish if plasma from the blood of recovered patients could help treat others who have contracted the coronavirus.Matt Hancock has shared a picture of himself taking part in the clinical trial to establish if plasma from the blood of recovered patients could help treat others who have contracted the coronavirus.
The health secretary recovered after testing positive for Covid-19 in late March and urged people to take part in the trial if asked, adding: “It’s painless.”The health secretary recovered after testing positive for Covid-19 in late March and urged people to take part in the trial if asked, adding: “It’s painless.”
An NHS trust is to offer maternity care at Aston Villa’s home ground, following the success of a similar tie-up with West Bromwich Albion.An NHS trust is to offer maternity care at Aston Villa’s home ground, following the success of a similar tie-up with West Bromwich Albion.
The Sandwell and West Birmingham trust said Villa Park’s North Stand would host weekday clinics for expectant mothers and new parents from Monday.The Sandwell and West Birmingham trust said Villa Park’s North Stand would host weekday clinics for expectant mothers and new parents from Monday.
Postnatal and antenatal care by midwives is already being hosted at Albion’s Hawthorns ground, including health visitors holding appointments for new parents, as well as newborn hearing screening tests.Postnatal and antenatal care by midwives is already being hosted at Albion’s Hawthorns ground, including health visitors holding appointments for new parents, as well as newborn hearing screening tests.
The service at Villa Park will be staffed by 10 midwives and two support workers, with two health visitors taking appointments.The service at Villa Park will be staffed by 10 midwives and two support workers, with two health visitors taking appointments.
The trust’s deputy director of midwifery Louise Wilde, who is also a Villa fan, said:The trust’s deputy director of midwifery Louise Wilde, who is also a Villa fan, said:
Guy Rippon, head of foundation and community partnerships at Aston Villa, said:Guy Rippon, head of foundation and community partnerships at Aston Villa, said:
The UK could hit the grim milestone of 20,000 Covid-19 deaths later today, when the daily count is added to the current toll of 19,506 people who tested positive for the new coronavirus and died in hospital.The UK could hit the grim milestone of 20,000 Covid-19 deaths later today, when the daily count is added to the current toll of 19,506 people who tested positive for the new coronavirus and died in hospital.
The death toll from Covid-19 in hospitals across the country increased on Friday by 684 in 24 hours to 19,506.The death toll from Covid-19 in hospitals across the country increased on Friday by 684 in 24 hours to 19,506.
Passing the 20,000 mark will be an uncomfortable moment for the government, whose chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance said on 17 March that keeping the toll under that number would be “a good outcome in terms of where we would hope to get”.Passing the 20,000 mark will be an uncomfortable moment for the government, whose chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance said on 17 March that keeping the toll under that number would be “a good outcome in terms of where we would hope to get”.
The UK has the fifth highest official coronavirus death toll in the world, after the United States, Italy, Spain and France. Scientists have said that the death rate will start to decline quickly only in another couple of weeks.The UK has the fifth highest official coronavirus death toll in the world, after the United States, Italy, Spain and France. Scientists have said that the death rate will start to decline quickly only in another couple of weeks.
The total number of fatalities is likely to be thousands higher once more comprehensive but lagging figures that include deaths in nursing homes are added. As of 10 April, the hospital toll underestimated deaths by around 40%.The total number of fatalities is likely to be thousands higher once more comprehensive but lagging figures that include deaths in nursing homes are added. As of 10 April, the hospital toll underestimated deaths by around 40%.
Burberry said it has donated more than 100,000 pieces of PPE while it has also transformed its Yorkshire trench coat factory to produce protective equipment for hospital staff.Burberry said it has donated more than 100,000 pieces of PPE while it has also transformed its Yorkshire trench coat factory to produce protective equipment for hospital staff.
The fashion giant said it had donated PPE, including masks the company has sourced, and has transformed its Castleford factory to manufacture non-surgical gowns and supply them to the NHS.The fashion giant said it had donated PPE, including masks the company has sourced, and has transformed its Castleford factory to manufacture non-surgical gowns and supply them to the NHS.
It added that it will maintain its base pay for employees who have been unable to work due to closures and senior bosses announced they will take a 20% pay cut from April to June.It added that it will maintain its base pay for employees who have been unable to work due to closures and senior bosses announced they will take a 20% pay cut from April to June.
Meanwhile, rival fashion brand Mulberry said it has switched its handbag factory in Somerset to making 8,000 gowns for NHS workers in Bristol.Meanwhile, rival fashion brand Mulberry said it has switched its handbag factory in Somerset to making 8,000 gowns for NHS workers in Bristol.
Coronavirus tests for key workers through the government’s new booking website have run out in England and Wales for a second day in a row.
More than 10 million key workers and their households are now eligible for Covid-19 tests as officials race to hit their 100,000-a-day testing target by next Thursday.
However, home testing kits were listed as “unavailable” on the government’s booking website just 15 minutes after it reopened on Saturday morning, according to the BBC.
It was also not possible to book tests at drive-through regional sites in England, Wales and Northern Ireland by 10am.
According to the site, tests at a drive-through regional site in Scotland are still available.
A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said more would be made available from Sunday morning at 8am.
Killing Eve writer Luke Jennings, actor Robert Webb and Booker prize winner Bernardine Evaristo are to take part in a virtual book festival to be broadcast over three days during the first bank holiday weekend in May.
The Big Book Weekend will during 8-10 May “bring together the best of the cancelled UK literary festivals”, organisers said. It will feature video interviews, panel discussions and “in conversation” sessions.
Former hostage Terry Waite will talk about how to cope with solitude, and it will also feature Alexander McCall Smith, Maggie O’Farrell, Marian Keyes, Neil Gaiman and Michael Morpurgo, while Sir Tim Rice discusses his life and career.
The festival is part of BBC Arts’ Culture In Quarantine, “bringing the very best arts and culture to the homes of everyone in the UK”, and is supported by BBC Arts and Arts Council England.
Author Kit de Waal, who co-founded the festival with Molly Flatt, said:
You can find more information here.
A government campaign has been launched to encourage people seriously ill with non-coronavirus conditions such as heart attacks to seek help amid concerns some are avoiding hospitals, my colleagues Sarah Marsh and Nazia Parveen report.
The campaign, which will be rolled out next week, aims to encourage people to use vital services – such as contacting their GP, dialling 111 for urgent care needs or 999 in an emergency, cancer screening and care, maternity appointments and mental health support – as they usually would.The NHS chief executive, Sir Simon Stevens, said delays in getting treatment posed a long-term risk to people’s health, and stressed that the NHS was still there for patients without coronavirus who needed urgent and emergency services for stroke, heart attack, and other often fatal conditions.
Council chiefs have been praised after heeding the communities secretary’s call to reopen parks and cemeteries to allow the public open space to exercise in during the lockdown, ITV News reports.
As the UK enters its fifth weekend of lockdown, 340 parks and green spaces across the country have been reopened. The government has also updated its guidance to make it clear that burial grounds and cemeteries, grounds surrounding crematoria and gardens of remembrance may remain open. Robert Jenrick said:
Here are a range of reactions to the Cummings story that came in last night:
From Sir David King, the former chief scientific adviser
From the shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth
A thread from BBC Newsnight’s Lewis Goodall
From HuffPost’s Paul Waugh
And from the Conservative MP and former first secretary of state Damian Green
The Conservative former chancellor Philip Hammond has called on the government to begin easing the lockdown and focus on restarting the economy while accepting life alongside coronavirus.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the country could not afford to wait until a vaccine had become available before resuming more normal economic activity.
The Times (paywall) reports that the Treasury is drawing up measures to allow non-essential businesses to reopen and “get Britain back to work”. To achieve this in a “safe and practical way”, the measures include telling businesses to put up signs instructing workers to keep two metres apart and for staff to be sent home if they have coronavirus symptoms.
Companies will also be told to close “communal spaces” like canteens if people can’t physically distance and ensure widespread availability of hand-washing facilities and hand gel.
Good morning. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) has been thrust into the limelight after the Guardian revealed that the prime minister’s chief political adviser, Dominic Cummings, has been taking part in meetings of the senior scientists advising the upper echelons of government on its response to the coronavirus crisis. It’s left the government facing ever growing calls for the scientific advice given to ministers on the pandemic to be published and for Sage’s secret membership to be disclosed.
Elsewhere, the NHS is launching a new campaign to make sure people seek urgent care during a medical emergency after visits to A&E dropped by almost 50% this month. Prof Stephen Powis, the national medical director for England, told BBC Breakfast he was concerned that lives were being lost because fewer people were presenting themselves to doctors. He said:
And, as the UK heads into its fifth weekend of lockdown, the public is being urged to stay at home and not be tempted by the warm, sunny weather.
Please feel free to get in touch with me throughout the day to share news tips and suggestions. You can email me at lucy.campbell@theguardian.com or contact me via Twitter, I’m on @lucy_campbell_.