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UK coronavirus live: Sunak extends furlough job retention scheme until end of October UK coronavirus live: Alok Sharma to lead government briefing as furlough job retention scheme extended
(31 minutes later)
UK coronavirus death toll passes 40,000, official figures say; Health secretary dodges questions over people’s legal right to refuse return to work; further lockdowns inevitable without stronger plan, scientists warnUK coronavirus death toll passes 40,000, official figures say; Health secretary dodges questions over people’s legal right to refuse return to work; further lockdowns inevitable without stronger plan, scientists warn
Sharma is now reading out the latest testing and death figures.
The figures are here.
Alok Sharma, the business secretary, is here for the daily press conference.
Tomorrow the Office for National Statistics will publish its GDP figures for the first quarter of 2020. Growth was flat in the final quarter of 2019 and the real impact of the coronavirus crisis is not expected until the second quarter of 2020 (April to June), when GDP could fall by 35%, if the OBR is right.
So, technically the UK is not in a recession yet (because economists only define a recession after two quarters of negative growth). But Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, told BBC News that in practice the UK was already in one. In an interview with Laura Kuenssberg, asked if the country was facing a recession, Sunak replied:
Reading and Leeds music festivals have been cancelled due to the pandemic.
A statement from the organisers said:
More than half of Britons feel down, depressed and hopeless over the future, a pan-European study of mental health during the pandemic has found.
The international survey of how the Covid-19 crisis is impacting on mental wellbeing reveals that 57% of UK participants had suffered depression and stress.
Overall the three-country investigation concluded that the mental health of 41% of the UK population is at risk as a result of the coronavirus.
The study collected data on people in the UK, Spain and Italy between 24 April and 17 May.
Just 55 prisoners have been released early under plans to alleviate the Covid-19 crisis in jails in England and Wales for which up to 4,000 prisoners are eligible, a minister has revealed.Just 55 prisoners have been released early under plans to alleviate the Covid-19 crisis in jails in England and Wales for which up to 4,000 prisoners are eligible, a minister has revealed.
Luzy Frazer, the justice minister, told the justice select committee that as of 11 May, 21 pregnant women had been released from jail, five prisoners had been freed under the early release scheme and five inmates released on compassionate release. Lucy Frazer, the justice minister, told the justice select committee that as of 11 May, 21 pregnant women had been released from jail, five prisoners had been freed under the early release scheme and five inmates released on compassionate release.
The Ministry of Justice announced on 4 April that up to 4,000 prisoners who were within two months of their release date and had passed a risk assessment would be released.The Ministry of Justice announced on 4 April that up to 4,000 prisoners who were within two months of their release date and had passed a risk assessment would be released.
Since the announcement, Public Health England PHE modelling has shown the spread of infection and rate of deaths in prison has been much lower than expected. But the containment of the outbreak in prisons has been driven by a highly restrictive regime, which involves increased time in cells, segregation and a ban on all visits, a regime that PHE has said would need to remain in place until April next year. Since the announcement, Public Health England (PHE) modelling has shown the spread of infection and rate of deaths in prison has been much lower than expected. But the containment of the outbreak in prisons has been driven by a highly restrictive regime, which involves increased time in cells, segregation and a ban on all visits, a regime that PHE has said would need to remain in place until April next year.
Penal reform campaigners have warned this approach is not sustainable in the long term and further releases are required.Penal reform campaigners have warned this approach is not sustainable in the long term and further releases are required.
Justice committee member, Andy Slaughter MP, said the low number of early releases represented a “missed opportunity”.Justice committee member, Andy Slaughter MP, said the low number of early releases represented a “missed opportunity”.
Here is the official Labour response to the Treasury’s furlough scheme announcement. It’s from the shadow chancellor, Anneliese Dodds.Here is the official Labour response to the Treasury’s furlough scheme announcement. It’s from the shadow chancellor, Anneliese Dodds.
Rishi Sunak implied in his statement to MPs that firms would start having to make a contribution from August, but the Treasury has not given details. However, sources have been briefing journalists that, even when businesses do start having to make a contribution, the government will continue to meet more than 50% of the cost.Rishi Sunak implied in his statement to MPs that firms would start having to make a contribution from August, but the Treasury has not given details. However, sources have been briefing journalists that, even when businesses do start having to make a contribution, the government will continue to meet more than 50% of the cost.
These are from the Press Association’s Ian Jones.These are from the Press Association’s Ian Jones.
Rebecca Long-Bailey, the shadow education secretary, has been looking at the government guidance for physical distancing in schools (see 10.30am) and she is not impressed. In a statement she said:Rebecca Long-Bailey, the shadow education secretary, has been looking at the government guidance for physical distancing in schools (see 10.30am) and she is not impressed. In a statement she said:
The DUP has put out a statement saying, among other things, that the furlough scheme shows the importance of Northern Ireland remaining in the United Kingdom. This is from the DUP MP Sammy Wilson.
Until recently the DUP might not have felt the need to make a point like this, but since Brexit Irish reunification has become more of a salient issue than it used to be.
The SNP has not been making the same argument. It has welcomed the furlough announcement too, but in a statement Alison Thewliss, the SNP Treasury spokesperson at Westminster, said the UK government should maintain the scheme as long as it is needed in Scotland. She said:
Grant Shapps said TfL will only be able to take 15% of usual commuter levels if 100% of services are running and urged everybody to look for “alternative means of transport”.
The Tory MP and former transport minister Stephen Hammond said many Londoners who need to get to work will still need to use the tube and rail network. He asked the transport secretary:
Shapps replied that ridership on TfL was up by 8% yesterday and urged people to look for alternative means of travelling. He said:
A further 627 people have died in the UK across all settings, up from 32,065 yesterday, the DHSC said.
This is significantly lower than the figures released earlier today by the ONS, which suggested the official death toll has surpassed 40,000.
Paul Johnson, the director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, says the eventual cost of the Treasury’s coronavirus job retention scheme, which pays firms to furlough workers, could be close to £100bn.
The Treasury has refused to say what it expects the final cost to be, although insiders have dismissed claims that it will cost £13bn a month as an over-estimate.
Another 16 people have died after testing positive for Covid-19 in Wales, taking the death toll there to 1,132, Public Health Wales said.
A further 105 positive cases were also reported, bringing that total to 11,573.
Northern Rail is to use the collapse in demand for rail travel caused by the Covid-19 pandemic to finally retire its entire fleet of Pacer trains.
These much-maligned “buses on rails” have become a leaking, squeaking symbol of the underinvestment in northern England in recent years as Northern Rail missed successive deadlines to send them to the railway knacker’s yard.But at a virtual meeting of the Rail North Committee on Tuesday, politicians including Greater Manchester’s mayor Andy Burnham were told that no pacers will be on the Northern network from this Saturday (18 May).
Not all will go to train heaven, however: a few will be kept for “contingency”. One has already been sent to the National Railway Museum in York and three others were “won” by charities and community groups, which will see the rusty old carriages turned into a men’s cooking school, a science lab for a Bradford primary and a non-clinical space for patients at Airedale general hospital.
This weekend the operator (run by the state since March after a disastrous few years in the private sector) looks to increase services from 45% to 63% of normal services.The meeting heard that physical distancing is currently possible on services run by Northern and Transpennine Express as passenger numbers remained at 5% of their normal levels.
This is from Water UK, the trade body representing the major water companies in the UK.
The prime minister told MPs on Monday it might be possible to track local “flare ups” of coronavirus by testing “the water supply”, which confused and scared many.
No 10 quickly issued a clarification that he was referring to sewage or waste water, not the fresh water that comes out of our taps.
A total of 42 Transport for London workers have died with Covid-19, the transport secretary said. On Network Rail, including the train operating companies, the number is 10, Shapps told the Commons. He added that it isn’t currently known if this was “through their jobs”.
As a precautionary measure, people should wear face coverings on public transport, Shapps said, urging people to think about the needs of others. He told the Commons: