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| UK coronavirus live: black people four times more likely to die from coronavirus than whites - ONS | UK coronavirus live: black people four times more likely to die from coronavirus than whites - ONS |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| ONS says risk of death significantly higher among some ethnic groups than others; Johnson to give speech on lockdown plans at 7pm on Sunday | |
| When deciding who to ease lockdown measures, the government needs to know what the likely impact of relaxing each measure is going to have on the rate of infection. Scientists from the University of East Anglia have been looking at this issue and they have concluded that the two safest policies would be lifting stay-at-home orders and letting shops open that are selling non-essential goods. | |
| The UEA press release goes on: | |
| The press notice is here, and the full academic paper, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, is here (pdf). | |
| The research is based on the impact of various social distancing measures in 30 different countries. | |
| Passengers travelling through Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports will be required to cover their faces and wear gloves from Thursday, owner Manchester Airports Group (MAG) has announced. | |
| The firm said the move was designed to ensure that the small number of passengers currently making essential journeys through its airports feel safer and more confident about flying, as well as providing a further level of protection to colleagues working at the airport. It added: | |
| From the BBC’s political editor Laura Kuenssberg | |
| Anas Sarwar, a Scottish Labour MSP, has urged the Scottish government to carry out urgent research into the ONS findings that in England and Wales the risk of dying with Covid-19 is significantly higher amongst BAME communities. | |
| Sarwar, whose father, Mohammad Sarwar, was the UK’s first Muslim MP, said: | |
| There are many reasons for thinking that the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis has been, as policy types might put it, “sub-optimal”. But there is no evidence that this is having any impact (yet?) on the government’s standing with the electorate. YouGov has published its latest poll this morning and it shows the Conservatives on 50%, ahead of Labour on 30%. | There are many reasons for thinking that the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis has been, as policy types might put it, “sub-optimal”. But there is no evidence that this is having any impact (yet?) on the government’s standing with the electorate. YouGov has published its latest poll this morning and it shows the Conservatives on 50%, ahead of Labour on 30%. |
| Ethnic minorities’ war and postwar efforts and sacrifices were erased from the national narrative. Today, as our doctors and nurses give their lives, we cannot have a repeat – their stories must be central to how we reshape Britain’s shared future and identity, writes Guardian columnist Afua Hirsch. | Ethnic minorities’ war and postwar efforts and sacrifices were erased from the national narrative. Today, as our doctors and nurses give their lives, we cannot have a repeat – their stories must be central to how we reshape Britain’s shared future and identity, writes Guardian columnist Afua Hirsch. |
| Bob Seely, the MP for the Isle of Wight, has just told Sky News that around 30% of people living on the island have already downloaded the government’s contact-tracing app, which is being piloted there. He said that was a remarkable take-up given that ordinary residents are only being invited to download it from today. Earlier in the week key workers were asked to sign up. But Seely said people started downloading it anyway. | Bob Seely, the MP for the Isle of Wight, has just told Sky News that around 30% of people living on the island have already downloaded the government’s contact-tracing app, which is being piloted there. He said that was a remarkable take-up given that ordinary residents are only being invited to download it from today. Earlier in the week key workers were asked to sign up. But Seely said people started downloading it anyway. |
| Alongside its main report on coronavirus deaths and ethnicity (see 9.41am and 10.33am), the ONS has also published what it calls a technical appendix, explaining in detail how social factors help to explain why BAME people are more at risk of coronavirus deaths. | Alongside its main report on coronavirus deaths and ethnicity (see 9.41am and 10.33am), the ONS has also published what it calls a technical appendix, explaining in detail how social factors help to explain why BAME people are more at risk of coronavirus deaths. |
| It gets quite technical, but it is worth reading if you want to understand this in more detail. Here is an extract. | It gets quite technical, but it is worth reading if you want to understand this in more detail. Here is an extract. |
| And this is figure 1, showing that more than 10% of Bangladeshi and Pakistani people work as bus or taxi drivers, or in similar transport jobs - a far higher proportion than for other ethnic groups. | And this is figure 1, showing that more than 10% of Bangladeshi and Pakistani people work as bus or taxi drivers, or in similar transport jobs - a far higher proportion than for other ethnic groups. |
| Sir Harry Burns, Scotland’s former chief medical officer, has warned against relaxing the lockdown until the community rate of transmission for the coronavirus, known as R, has fallen below 0.5. | Sir Harry Burns, Scotland’s former chief medical officer, has warned against relaxing the lockdown until the community rate of transmission for the coronavirus, known as R, has fallen below 0.5. |
| Burns, who advised Scottish ministers during the swine flu pandemic in 2009, told MSPs on the Scottish parliament’s new Covid-19 committee he had been told the R rate in Scotland was about 0.7 and said he feared it would rise once the lockdown was eased. | Burns, who advised Scottish ministers during the swine flu pandemic in 2009, told MSPs on the Scottish parliament’s new Covid-19 committee he had been told the R rate in Scotland was about 0.7 and said he feared it would rise once the lockdown was eased. |
| Boris Johnson is expected to announce modest relaxations from next Monday in a statement on Sunday night, including allowing family picnics, more outdoor exercise and potentially authorising outdoor cafes to reopen. | Boris Johnson is expected to announce modest relaxations from next Monday in a statement on Sunday night, including allowing family picnics, more outdoor exercise and potentially authorising outdoor cafes to reopen. |
| Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, is resisting a relaxation too early, and has said Scotland’s R rate may be slightly higher than in England. | Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, is resisting a relaxation too early, and has said Scotland’s R rate may be slightly higher than in England. |
| Burns told the committee: | Burns told the committee: |
| He said some people were at increased risk of being infected, particularly people who lived in crowded high rises and used shared lifts. Wealthier people in the suburbs with private gardens will be less exposed. That meant the R rate would be higher in crowded urban areas. | He said some people were at increased risk of being infected, particularly people who lived in crowded high rises and used shared lifts. Wealthier people in the suburbs with private gardens will be less exposed. That meant the R rate would be higher in crowded urban areas. |
| Burns added that he was also “leery” about lifting the lockdown too early because there were clear risks transmission rates would surge. As the sole carer for his 96-year-old mother, who was shielding at home, he already avoided shops and public spaces to lower the chance he catches the virus. He said: | Burns added that he was also “leery” about lifting the lockdown too early because there were clear risks transmission rates would surge. As the sole carer for his 96-year-old mother, who was shielding at home, he already avoided shops and public spaces to lower the chance he catches the virus. He said: |
| The UK economy could shrink by 14% and unemployment could more than double as the pandemic causes the deepest recession in modern history, the Bank of England has warned. | The UK economy could shrink by 14% and unemployment could more than double as the pandemic causes the deepest recession in modern history, the Bank of England has warned. |
| Leaving interest rates on hold at a record low of 0.1% as the economic crisis unfolds, the central bank said economic activity across the country had fallen sharply since the onset of the global health emergency and the lockdown measures to contain its spread. | Leaving interest rates on hold at a record low of 0.1% as the economic crisis unfolds, the central bank said economic activity across the country had fallen sharply since the onset of the global health emergency and the lockdown measures to contain its spread. |
| In a warning over the mounting damage to the economy, the Bank said GDP could plunge by 25% in the second quarter. For 2020 as a whole, the economy could shrink by 14%, marking the deepest recession for more than three centuries. | In a warning over the mounting damage to the economy, the Bank said GDP could plunge by 25% in the second quarter. For 2020 as a whole, the economy could shrink by 14%, marking the deepest recession for more than three centuries. |
| As Boris Johnson prepares to announce the government’s plan to gradually ease lockdown measures after more than a month of sweeping controls on social and business life, the BoE said it would take a year for the economy to return to normal and there were heightened risks of long-term damage. | As Boris Johnson prepares to announce the government’s plan to gradually ease lockdown measures after more than a month of sweeping controls on social and business life, the BoE said it would take a year for the economy to return to normal and there were heightened risks of long-term damage. |
| For more on this story and for all the latest economic news and analysis, head over to our colleague Graeme Wearden’s business live blog. | For more on this story and for all the latest economic news and analysis, head over to our colleague Graeme Wearden’s business live blog. |
| This is from David Lammy, the shadow justice secretary, on the ONS report into coronavirus deaths and ethnicity. | This is from David Lammy, the shadow justice secretary, on the ONS report into coronavirus deaths and ethnicity. |
| This is from Nick Stripe, head of health analysis at the Office for National Statistics, explaining to the BBC what its report on coronavirus deaths and ethnicity (see 9.41am and 10.33am) shows. | This is from Nick Stripe, head of health analysis at the Office for National Statistics, explaining to the BBC what its report on coronavirus deaths and ethnicity (see 9.41am and 10.33am) shows. |
| The ONS has also published a report this morning on coronavirus and the economy. As PA Media reports, it says almost a quarter of UK firms have halted trading due to the coronavirus lockdown. The PA report goes on: | The ONS has also published a report this morning on coronavirus and the economy. As PA Media reports, it says almost a quarter of UK firms have halted trading due to the coronavirus lockdown. The PA report goes on: |
| This is from Helen Barnard, acting director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, a social justice thinktank, on today’s ONS report about coronavirus deaths and ethnicity. | This is from Helen Barnard, acting director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, a social justice thinktank, on today’s ONS report about coronavirus deaths and ethnicity. |