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| UK coronavirus live news: Gove says crisis could focus minds and boost chances of UK-EU trade deal | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Deaths rise in England, Scotland and Wales; Sage experts to be named; prime minister said UK must avoid second peak of cases in first public statement since recovery | Deaths rise in England, Scotland and Wales; Sage experts to be named; prime minister said UK must avoid second peak of cases in first public statement since recovery |
| Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, has been giving evidence to the Commons Brexit committee. Here are some of the main points so far. | |
| Gove claimed that the coronavirus crisis could increase the chances of the UK and the EU striking a trade deal this year because it should “concentrate the minds of EU negotiators”. Responding to a question from Hilary Benn, the committee chairman, about whether the coronavirus crisis altered the chances of the UK and the EU negotiating a trade deal by the end of this year, Gove said: | |
| He also said that reaching a deal by the end of the year was “entirely possible”. He described the statement put out by Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, at the end of last week’s round of negotiations as “relatively downbeat” (an understatement - you can read it here) and he said he thoughts the odds on a deal being struck were 2 to 1. | |
| He refused to say whether the UK still planned to walk away from the talks if it had not made good progress towards a deal in June. Asked about this, he said he did not want to pre-empt the government’s response. | |
| He signalled that David Frost, the PM’s chief Europe adviser, would be willing to give evidence to the committee. | |
| They are the heroes who have lost their lives in the duty of helping others stricken by Covid-19. Tomorrow the nation will fall silent in tribute to them as it honours key workers, including NHS staff, who have died in the pandemic. | |
| Boris Johnson, who survived the disease after being treated in intensive care, will be among those observing a minute’s silence at 11am tomorrow. | |
| It is hoped the tribute will be followed nationwide, with government workers asked to take part. It comes after Unison, the largest trade union in the UK, the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Nursing launched a campaign last week for the nation to take a moment to honour frontline staff who have died during the Covid-19 crisis. Between them, the organisations represent more than a million NHS and public service workers including porters, refuse collectors and care staff. | |
| According to PA, more than 90 frontline NHS workers have died since March 25, with other lives lost in other key sectors, including private social care and transport. The Guardian has also been chronicling the Covid-19 deaths of healthcare staff. | |
| On Monday, the PM’s official spokesman said: “We will be supporting the minute’s silence. We will be asking everybody who works in the Government to take part and we would hope that others will take part nationwide as well.” | |
| Dame Donna Kinnair, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said: “This moment will bring together a sombre but grateful nation. Whether in nursing or driving buses, our heroes kept going to work when many had the luxury of staying at home. Nobody should go out to work and risk their life. | |
| Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: “Boris Johnson has seen first-hand how NHS staff are going to remarkable lengths to keep us all safe. The least we can all do tomorrow is spare a moment to pay our respects and show our gratitude to all the key workers who have lost their lives.” | |
| Matt Hancock, the health secretary, has been answering coronavirus questions on Instagram. | |
| He will get more questions at 5pm, when he is leading for the government at the daily press conference. | |
| The country’s biggest betting firms will remove all TV and radio advertising for games and products during the Covid-19 lockdown, amid concern over problem gamblers. | The country’s biggest betting firms will remove all TV and radio advertising for games and products during the Covid-19 lockdown, amid concern over problem gamblers. |
| Industry body, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), said firms have voluntarily agreed to remove all their gaming product advertising for at least six weeks. | Industry body, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), said firms have voluntarily agreed to remove all their gaming product advertising for at least six weeks. |
| It comes a week after the government wrote to gambling firms asking them to provide regular updates on how they are tackling problem gambling during the lockdown. It also follows a survey revealing that people who gamble regularly online are doing so just as often or more frequently during the lockdown, despite the lack of sporting fixtures. | |
| The BGC said existing TV and radio advertising slots will be replaced by safer gambling messages, donated to charities or removed from broadcast where contracts allow. The BGC chief executive, Michael Dugher, said: | |
| Prompted partly by Boris Johnson’s speech outside Downing Street this morning, Tom McTague has written a powerful and thoughtful article for the Atlantic about the extent to which Johnson’s optimism is an advantage or a disadvantage. | Prompted partly by Boris Johnson’s speech outside Downing Street this morning, Tom McTague has written a powerful and thoughtful article for the Atlantic about the extent to which Johnson’s optimism is an advantage or a disadvantage. |
| Here is an extract, but it is worth reading the whole thing. | Here is an extract, but it is worth reading the whole thing. |
| People undergoing fertility treatment will be able to freeze embryos, eggs and sperm for an extra two years so that they are not unfairly caught out by the Covid-19 pandemic. | People undergoing fertility treatment will be able to freeze embryos, eggs and sperm for an extra two years so that they are not unfairly caught out by the Covid-19 pandemic. |
| Current storage limits are set at 10 years, at which point people must decide if they want to undergo fertility treatment, or have their frozen eggs, sperm and embryos destroyed. | Current storage limits are set at 10 years, at which point people must decide if they want to undergo fertility treatment, or have their frozen eggs, sperm and embryos destroyed. |
| But ministers do not want patients to be “unfairly caught out” after procedures were paused earlier this month due to Covid-19. The time limits will be extended to give time for treatments to resume, the Department of Health said. Health minister Lord Bethell said: | But ministers do not want patients to be “unfairly caught out” after procedures were paused earlier this month due to Covid-19. The time limits will be extended to give time for treatments to resume, the Department of Health said. Health minister Lord Bethell said: |
| It comes as the Guardian today reports on women whose IVF treatments have been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. | It comes as the Guardian today reports on women whose IVF treatments have been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. |
| According to research by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UCL London and the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock, Germany, published today, the peak for coronavirus hospital deaths in England was probably passed on 8 April. Here is an extract from the news release. | According to research by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UCL London and the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock, Germany, published today, the peak for coronavirus hospital deaths in England was probably passed on 8 April. Here is an extract from the news release. |
| Prof David Leon from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, who led the research, said: | Prof David Leon from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, who led the research, said: |
| At her news conference Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, said that “in the coming days” she would be saying more about the different options for relaxing the lockdown, and “how we’re going about assessing those”. | At her news conference Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, said that “in the coming days” she would be saying more about the different options for relaxing the lockdown, and “how we’re going about assessing those”. |
| The Scottish government has already published a document (pdf) explaining in outline what principles it will apply as it moves to ease physical distancing, and Sturgeon’s comment will be seen as putting pressure on London to match her level of policy candour. | The Scottish government has already published a document (pdf) explaining in outline what principles it will apply as it moves to ease physical distancing, and Sturgeon’s comment will be seen as putting pressure on London to match her level of policy candour. |
| NHS England has reported an extra 329 coronavirus hospital deaths, taking the total to 18,749. | NHS England has reported an extra 329 coronavirus hospital deaths, taking the total to 18,749. |
| It says that patients were aged between 29 and 100 years old and that 22 of the 329 patients (aged between 29 and 89 years old) had no known underlying health condition. | It says that patients were aged between 29 and 100 years old and that 22 of the 329 patients (aged between 29 and 89 years old) had no known underlying health condition. |
| The full set of data for today is available here (pdf). | The full set of data for today is available here (pdf). |
| The 329 figure is much lower than other recent daily figures have been. The equivalent daily figure announced on Saturday was 711. This will partly be explained by the weekend, because the number of deaths reported on Saturdays and Sundays always tends to be lower than during the week, because of staffing levels. | The 329 figure is much lower than other recent daily figures have been. The equivalent daily figure announced on Saturday was 711. This will partly be explained by the weekend, because the number of deaths reported on Saturdays and Sundays always tends to be lower than during the week, because of staffing levels. |
| There have been another eight coronavirus deaths in Wales, where the total is now 796, according to the latest figures from Public Health Wales. | There have been another eight coronavirus deaths in Wales, where the total is now 796, according to the latest figures from Public Health Wales. |
| A total of 1,262 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, up by 13 from 1,249 on Sunday, Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, announced at her news conference earlier. | A total of 1,262 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, up by 13 from 1,249 on Sunday, Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, announced at her news conference earlier. |
| She said 10,521 people have now tested positive for the virus in Scotland, up by 197 from 10,324 the day before. | She said 10,521 people have now tested positive for the virus in Scotland, up by 197 from 10,324 the day before. |
| There are 134 people in intensive care with coronavirus or coronavirus symptoms, an increase of one on Sunday, she added. | There are 134 people in intensive care with coronavirus or coronavirus symptoms, an increase of one on Sunday, she added. |
| The latest daily figures from Scotland are here. | The latest daily figures from Scotland are here. |
| They are fortunate to have survived where others have tragically fallen victim to Covid-19. Now patients who have recovered from the disease are giving back by donating their blood plasma in a bid to help treat others infected with the virus. | They are fortunate to have survived where others have tragically fallen victim to Covid-19. Now patients who have recovered from the disease are giving back by donating their blood plasma in a bid to help treat others infected with the virus. |
| Around 6,000 people who tested positive for coronavirus have signed up to donate their blood plasma, including more than 500 people who were admitted to hospital. | Around 6,000 people who tested positive for coronavirus have signed up to donate their blood plasma, including more than 500 people who were admitted to hospital. |
| The plasma from former patients – rich in the antibodies that develop as somebody recovers from an illness – will be transfused into people who are seriously ill with Covid-19 and struggling to develop their own antibodies. | The plasma from former patients – rich in the antibodies that develop as somebody recovers from an illness – will be transfused into people who are seriously ill with Covid-19 and struggling to develop their own antibodies. |
| Photos issued by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) show former patients giving their blood plasma at Tooting Blood Donor Centre, London, in a process known as plasmapheresis, which uses a machine similar to that used in regular blood platelet donation. | Photos issued by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) show former patients giving their blood plasma at Tooting Blood Donor Centre, London, in a process known as plasmapheresis, which uses a machine similar to that used in regular blood platelet donation. |
| The number of antibodies rises steadily in the bloodstream of those who have been ill and is thought to peak between 21 and 28 days after recovery. Donors must have tested positive for the illness either at home or in hospital, but should now be three to four weeks into their recovery, ideally 29 days. | The number of antibodies rises steadily in the bloodstream of those who have been ill and is thought to peak between 21 and 28 days after recovery. Donors must have tested positive for the illness either at home or in hospital, but should now be three to four weeks into their recovery, ideally 29 days. |
| A donation session takes around 45 minutes to give two units of plasma, and can be repeated as regularly as every fortnight. | A donation session takes around 45 minutes to give two units of plasma, and can be repeated as regularly as every fortnight. |
| More from an earlier post, as my colleague Denis Campbell reports that children are falling ill with a new and potentially fatal combination of symptoms apparently linked to Covid-19, including a sore stomach and heart problems. | More from an earlier post, as my colleague Denis Campbell reports that children are falling ill with a new and potentially fatal combination of symptoms apparently linked to Covid-19, including a sore stomach and heart problems. |
| The children affected appear to have been struck by a form of toxic shock syndrome, he reports. Some have been left so seriously unwell that they have had to be treated in intensive care. At least one has undergone extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment, which is used when someone’s life is at risk because they can no longer breathe for themselves. | The children affected appear to have been struck by a form of toxic shock syndrome, he reports. Some have been left so seriously unwell that they have had to be treated in intensive care. At least one has undergone extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment, which is used when someone’s life is at risk because they can no longer breathe for themselves. |
| In a letter to GPs in north London, reported by Health Service Journal, NHS bosses said: | In a letter to GPs in north London, reported by Health Service Journal, NHS bosses said: |
| You can read the story here. | You can read the story here. |