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UK coronavirus live: Boris Johnson chairs cabinet ahead of holding first daily briefing since illness UK coronavirus live: Boris Johnson chairs cabinet ahead of holding first daily briefing since illness
(32 minutes later)
Robert Buckland admits government may fail to hit testing target; death toll in Scotland rises; more than 1,800 workers set to lose jobs at Oasis and WarehouseRobert Buckland admits government may fail to hit testing target; death toll in Scotland rises; more than 1,800 workers set to lose jobs at Oasis and Warehouse
Consumers still panic-buying toilet roll have another option from today. A brand new recycled toilet paper brand has been launched, with all profits helping to fund wellbeing packs along with travel and accommodation costs for NHS frontline workers.
So-called Serious Tissues was set up by the brains behind Change Please, a Big Issue Invest-backed social enterprise which helps get homeless people off the street by training them as coffee baristas. The new product is made from paper and cardboard recycled from offices and homes.
Originally designed to help tackle the climate change crisis and save some of the 10 mn trees cut down every year to make toilet paper, the new product was meant to go on sale in the summer. But the launch was brought forward in response to the Covid-19 outbreak and to direct all profits to NHS Charities Together.
Co-founder Chris Baker said: “The world has changed rapidly in the past 100 days, so we’ve quickly mobilised and changed our focus from climate change to fighting this terrible pandemic.
“Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen people up and down the country panic buying toilet roll and we believe we can turn this behaviour into a force for good.”
The UK uses 1.3m tonnes of tissue a year, according to the Confederation of Paper Industries, with the average British consumer getting through 127 rolls.
The new product is available to buy online and can be bought as a single order or as a subscription. The standard range is £24 per box of 36 and the premium range is £28 per box of 36 – both with a 5% discount for subscription.
Reports from adults concerned about child abuse have increased by almost a fifth during the coronavirus lockdown, the NSPCC has said. Its helpline received 2,216 calls about children facing neglect, physical and emotional abuse in the first four weeks of the lockdown. This compares with 1,867 calls made in the four weeks prior. Lockdown measures are likely to be “intensifying abuse and increasing the impact it has on children who can’t escape it”, the child protection charity said.
At her daily briefing, Nicola Sturgeon has told the Scottish public it is highly unlikely that there will be a loosening of lockdown restrictions next week.
Noting the next review lockdown guidance planned for May 7, she warned that “it may well be too early even by this time next week to reduce the current restrictions”. Saying she wanted to be as open as possible, she stressed that “our assessment as of today of the data and the evidence is that it would not be safe” to lift the restrictions.
She urged the Scottish public not to ease up on travel restrictions in particular, revealing that there has been a significant increase over the last week: people using concessionary bus travel by one-sixth, and car traffic up by 5%.
Saying that she remained “an eternal optimist” that the situation would improve, she acknowledged that “everybody is getting really frustrated”, adding that it was “much tougher for certain groups of people, people with children, people who don’t have garden, people who live in tenement flats”. She told reporters: “I can’t wave a magic want and make that frustration go away. What I can do is tell you why it is necessary.”
Evidence is building that Covid-19 can cause blood clotting abnormalities in patients, which could increase their risk of death.Researchers in Ireland have reported finding that patients with severe coronavirus infection have micro blood clots in their lungs – something they say is not seen in other lung conditions, and could explain why people with severe Covid-19 have a drastic drop in blood oxygen levels. The study, published in the British Journal of Haematology by researchers at the Irish Centre for Vascular Biology, RCSI and St James’s Hospital, Dublin, also reveals the higher the levels of various markers indicating abnormal blood clotting, the worse a patient’s prognosis.
“Further studies will be required to investigate whether different blood thinning treatments may have a role in selected high risk patients in order to reduce the risk of clot formation,” said Professor James O’Donnell Director of the Irish Centre for Vascular Biology.
It is not the first study to highlight clotting issues among those with Covid-19. Previous studies have suggested severe Covid-19 may be associated with an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and stroke – even in young people – while recent work by other researchers has also raised concerns about blood-clotting complications in Covid-19 patients.
The Irish team say unusual blood clotting may help to explain why people of some ethnicities appear to be at greater risk from Covid-19 than others, since black people have a higher risk of blood-clotting problems than white people and Asian people have a lower risk than both.
“Our findings raise the intriguing possibility that pulmonary vasculopathy may contribute to the unexplained differences that are beginning to emerge highlighting racial susceptibility to COVID‐19 mortality,” the Irish team write.
The number of people who believe the government did not act quickly enough in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak is increasing, according to a poll.
Two-thirds of adults think ministers brought in strict measures to deal with the emergency too late, a rise from 57% two weeks ago, the Ipsos Mori survey found.
The snapshot poll said people are also becoming less concerned about the risks to them personally from the outbreak. In the past month, the percentage of people expressing concern about the risk to themselves over time has dropped nine points to stand at 69%.
Tony Lloyd, the Labour MP for Rochdale in Greater Manchester, spent 25 days in Manchester Royal Infirmary with Covid-19, including 10 days in an induced coma on a ventilator. He spoke to the Guardian’s north of England editor, Helen Pidd, about the humbling experience, from strange dreams to how it’s changed him for good.
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The government is to step up its campaign to find British workers to pick fruit and vegetables during the coronavirus lockdown.The government is to step up its campaign to find British workers to pick fruit and vegetables during the coronavirus lockdown.
Environment, food and rural affairs minister Lord Gardiner of Kimble said farms currently had sufficient seasonal labour.Environment, food and rural affairs minister Lord Gardiner of Kimble said farms currently had sufficient seasonal labour.
But he said the campaign to plug the gap left by having fewer pickers from abroad would be “escalated” next month.But he said the campaign to plug the gap left by having fewer pickers from abroad would be “escalated” next month.
In a virtual Lords question time session, Lord Gardiner said he was confident people would come forward to pick “excellent” British fruit and vegetables.In a virtual Lords question time session, Lord Gardiner said he was confident people would come forward to pick “excellent” British fruit and vegetables.
Nicola Sturgeon starts her daily briefing by confirming 11,353 positive cases of coronavirus in Scotland, an increase of 319 from yesterday.Nicola Sturgeon starts her daily briefing by confirming 11,353 positive cases of coronavirus in Scotland, an increase of 319 from yesterday.
There are now 1,748 patients in hospital with suspected or confirmed Covid-19, an increase of 21; 109 in intensive care, a decrease of five from yesterday. She also said that 2,538 patients who had the virus had left hospital since 5 March.There are now 1,748 patients in hospital with suspected or confirmed Covid-19, an increase of 21; 109 in intensive care, a decrease of five from yesterday. She also said that 2,538 patients who had the virus had left hospital since 5 March.
But in the last 24 hours there were a further 60 deaths registered, taking that total to 1,475.But in the last 24 hours there were a further 60 deaths registered, taking that total to 1,475.
A fifth of high street stores plan to stay closed permanently after the coronavirus lockdown unwinds, retail leaders have told MPs.A fifth of high street stores plan to stay closed permanently after the coronavirus lockdown unwinds, retail leaders have told MPs.
Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association, told the business, energy and industrial strategy select committee it has been the “worst time ever for retail” after the pandemic hit the UK.Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association, told the business, energy and industrial strategy select committee it has been the “worst time ever for retail” after the pandemic hit the UK.
He said 20% of retailers surveyed by the trade body claimed they did not intend to reopen after the lockdown.He said 20% of retailers surveyed by the trade body claimed they did not intend to reopen after the lockdown.
Goodacre added: “For those even saying they would look to reopen, there is a huge caveat about the level of trade on whether they would continue to reopen.Goodacre added: “For those even saying they would look to reopen, there is a huge caveat about the level of trade on whether they would continue to reopen.
“If the footfall is impacted and social distancing exists and they find it hard to meet needs of customers and workers, it would be more expensive to reopen than to stay closed.”“If the footfall is impacted and social distancing exists and they find it hard to meet needs of customers and workers, it would be more expensive to reopen than to stay closed.”
At the government press conference on Tuesday Matt Hancock, the health secretary, was asked by the New Scientist’s Adam Vaughan how many contact tracers the government has already recruited. There are supposed to be 18,000 in place by the middle of next month. Hancock did not know, but he said he would try to get an answer.
Now Vaughan has been told the Department for Health and Social Care won’t release that information. As he writes, “a spokesperson [for the department] confirmed that recruitment had begun and said work was under way to ensure a rapid increase in tracers, but would not say how many there are now.”
More than 1,800 workers are set to lose their jobs at Oasis and Warehouse and two other brands, after administrators said they were unable to find a buyer for the business. Deloitte said that all stores would close indefinitely and online sales would be stopped. The failure to save any part of Oasis Warehouse Limited, the company behind the two brands, along with The Idle Man and Bastyan Fashions, will result in the loss of 1,803 jobs. Deloitte said it had sold the intellectual property and the company’s stock to restructuring expert Hilco Capital, but Hilco had decided not to buy the rest of the business. Administrator Rob Harding said: “Covid-19 has presented extraordinary challenges which have devastated the retail industry. It is with great sadness that we have to announce a sale of the business has not been possible and that we are announcing so many redundancies today.” He added: “This is a very difficult time for the group’s employees and other key stakeholders and we will do everything we can to support them through this.
New video technology is being introduced to enable criminal trials in crown and magistrates courts to be conducted securely over remote video links during the pandemic.
The first phase of the new video platform, known as Kinly Cloud Video Platform (CVP), will be rolled out to more than 100 courts in England and Wales.
HM Courts and Tribunal Service has so far run 412 remand hearings using CVP, brought on line 26 police custody suites and connected 95 advocates, 42 crown prosecutors, 20 probation officers and two translators.
The courts minister, Chris Philp, said:
Researchers say the preliminary results from UCL trials to treat Covid-19 with the drug Remdesivir are “really promising,” but acknowledged that there was “a little way to go”. They said that “in principle” the treatment could assist in the process of easing the UK lockdown but that it would depend more on dealing with transmission within the community. They added that more informative results would be available near to the end of May.
Supermarkets have been urged to welcome all families “with kindness and compassion”, following a surge in reports of single parents across Scotland being challenged or turned away by staff and abused by members of the public as they try to shop with their children, our colleague Libby Brooks reports.
There is a lot of concern that the lockdown could disproportionately affect women - even if the disease itself kills more men. The Fawcett Society put it like this:
Reflecting these concerns, Caroline Nokes, the chair of the Commons women and equalities committee has called on the government to publish the equalities assessment of the Coronavirus Act, the emergency legislation passed giving the government powers to deal with the crisis.
The impact assessment for the act states that an equalities assessment was “carried out separately as part of the public sector equalities duty” - but it hasn’t been published.
In evidence to the committee, Liz Truss, the women and equalities minister, said that this was because of the potential “chilling effect on being frank in those assessments” if the people preparing them knew they would be published.
But the committee has argued that the assessment isn’t only to inform the government - its also to inform those likely to be hit hardest, and help experts and organisations mitigate the worst effects.
Nokes said in a letter to Truss:
High Street coffee chain Pret a Manger is to reopening a further 20 of its shop kitchens from tomorrow, offering takeaway and delivery only via Deliveroo, Just Eat and UberEats. It is also rolling over a 50% discount for NHS workers until 15 May.
The 20 shops being reopened are in central and Greater London, and follow earlier openings of 10 outlets near major hospitals in the capital. As well as a limited menu of its most popular sandwiches, salads, baguettes, drinks and snacks, it will be selling essential items such as milk, butter and coffee. Customers and staff will be separated by perspex screens at the till areas, and subject to strict social distancing measures in all areas of the shops.
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Hundreds of people gathered to pay tribute to an NHS staff member who died after contracting coronavirus as her funeral cortege passed the hospital where she worked.
Jane Murphy, 73, worked at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for almost 30 years, first as a cleaner before being retrained as a clinical support worker. She had been placed on sick leave when the coronavirus outbreak first emerged due to her age and is believed to have died on 16 April. Her funeral cortege passed the hospital on Thursday morning to allow colleagues to pay their last respects. The road up to the accident and emergency department was lined by medical staff who threw flowers on to the hearse, and it stopped outside the entrance so more floral tributes could be placed inside.
Janice Alexander, the hospital’s site director, said: “Jane was an exceptionally well-respected and well-loved colleague at the Royal Infirmary, who will be greatly missed by many.
“From everyone at the site, and across NHS Lothian, I would like to extend our heartfelt thoughts and wishes to Jane’s family at this difficult time.”