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Number of cases worldwide tops 1 million as UK death toll surges by another 569

Medical staff wearing personal protective equipment - PA
Medical staff wearing personal protective equipment - PA
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Coronavirus Article Bar with counter ..

11:12 PM

Round-up of the top stories

We're about to close this blog for the evening, you can follow all of Friday's latest updates here.

Before we sign off, here is a round-up of our top stories.


10:31 PM

Trump takes second coronavirus test - and is negative

US President Donald Trump has announced he has taken his second coronavirus test at the White House since the outbreak began and was found to be negative.

"I just took it this morning," he told a press conference. "It said the president tested negative for Covid-19."

This was Mr Trump's second test. This time he used a new rapid method that he said took a minute to complete and barely 15 minutes to return a result.

"I took it out of curiosity to see how quickly it worked. It is a lot easier. I have done them both. The second one is much more pleasant," Mr Trump said.

U.S. President Trump leads daily coronavirus response briefing at the White House in Washington - Reuters
U.S. President Trump leads daily coronavirus response briefing at the White House in Washington - Reuters

09:59 PM

Sturgeon: Lifting lockdown measures would not save economy

Nicola Sturgeon has said lifting lockdown measures "prematurely" would not prevent Scotland from suffering further economic damage.

The Scottish First Minister was speaking on BBC Scotland's The Nine when she reiterated her message that preventing the loss of life was the most important factor for these measures.

She told the programme on Thursday a "balance" had to be struck to prevent as many people as possible from dying of the virus and protecting the economy.

Ms Sturgeon said: "The longer we are having to deal with the virus in this way the greater the economic impact and nobody is blind or deaf to that. But flip it the other way and we come out these measures prematurely, in order to avoid further economic damage, and what happens is the virus spirals out of control again - that's not helping the economy.

"Because we will have vast numbers of people off work, we will have huge numbers of people dying from this and the economic damage will not be escaped. It is a balance that has to be struck - and I say this really sincerely and straight - it has to be a balance that's struck with the preservation of life very much at the top of the priority list."


09:53 PM

PornHub offers Italy's social security department help after surge in visits causes site to crash

A pornography website has offered to help Italy's social security department improve the availability of its online services after a surge in visits caused by the coronavirus crisis caused a series of outages, writes Erica Di Blasi in Turin.

The website of INPS, the Istituto Nazionale Previdenza Sociale, was overwhelmed by visitors when it started to offer Eu600 payments to self-employed workers affected by the epidemic.

Social media users pointed out that while the INPS website had proved unable to cope with an estimated four million visitors, Pornhub, a pornography service that attracts 120 million visits a day, never seemed to go offline, despite the extra traffic from people forced to stay at home during Italy's lockdown.

This prompted an ironic tweet from Pornhub to the technicians who manage the INPS website: "We would like to offer our servers to help you improve your website. Contact us."


09:41 PM

Global cases likely closer to 'several million' says expert

Dr Bharat Pankhania, Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School, said that the total number of coronavirus cases worldwide is likely closer to "several million" than the reported one million.

The doctor explained discrepancies in testing and data collection are likely to blame.

“Without a doubt we already have several million cases, there are parts of the world where they have not even started to meticulously test and collect numbers, confirmed or clinically confirmed," Dr Bharat said.

"In countries with poor testing there may be a huge margin between confirmed cases and cases unidentified or not tested. It may be greater by several factors.

“The new virus is doing what has been expected of it to do. It is highly transmissible, infectious and disease causing thus we can expect continued major global disruption lasting for a very long time and it is better to say so now, rather than to say, it will all be over in a few months.

"There are no indicators which direct us to believe this pandemic is going to be over in a few months.”


09:28 PM

Netanyahu gets all-clear after second coronavirus scare this week

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tested negative for the coronavirus on Thursday after his health minister was diagnosed with it, officials said, the 70-year-old leader's second infection scare this week.

As a precaution, Netanyahu returned to self-isolation for six more days, they said. On Wednesday, he completed a quarantine following exposure two weeks ago to an infected aide.

In between the two periods, Netanyahu went on national TV to announce new measures to curb the epidemic. His previous negative coronavirus test was on Monday.

Health Minister Yaakov Litzman and his wife tested positive, officials said earlier on Thursday. Litzman, 71, has appeared regularly alongside the premier to give coronavirus updates.


09:15 PM

Short of blood, US relaxes restrictions on gay donors

The United States on Thursday relaxed rules that prevent many gay men from giving blood in an effort to tackle a severe shortage of donations due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Since 2015, men who have had sex with other men in the previous 12 months have been unable to donate blood. Previously, the ban was for life. The period has been reduced to three months, the US Food and Drug Administration announced.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented challenges to the US blood supply," it said. "Donor centers have experienced a dramatic reduction in donations due to the implementation of social distancing and the cancellation of blood drives."

The FDA said recent research proved that the rules could "be modified without compromising the safety of the blood supply."

The three-month rule also applies to women who have had sex with gay or bisexual men, as well as to people who have received a tattoo or piercing, and to those who have traveled to a country where the malaria risk is high.


09:01 PM

Troops gather scores of bodies of virus victims in Ecuador city

Troops and police in Ecuador have collected at least 150 bodies from streets and homes in the country's most populous city Guayaquil amid warnings that as many as 3,500 people could die of the coronavirus in the city and surrounding province in the coming months.

A joint military and police task force sent out to gather corpses in the horror-struck port city had collected 150 in just three days, government spokesman Jorge Wated said late Wednesday.

Residents had published videos on social media showing abandoned bodies in the streets in the Latin American city worst hit by the pandemic.

Some left desperate messages for authorities to take away the corpses of people who had died in their homes.Authorities have not confirmed how many of the dead were victims of the coronavirus.


08:52 PM

Immunity certificates would be 'dangerous' says health expert

Immunity certificates issued to people who have recovered from the coronavirus would be "dangerous" and unnecessary, a health expert has said.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told a press conference on Thursday that the Government was considering handing out the documents to allow people to "get back, as much as possible, to normal life".

But Eleanor Riley, Professor of Immunology and Infectious Disease at the University of Edinburgh, said that such certificates would give people a "sense of false security" about the disease.

"It's not something that we've ever done before. When we vaccinate people, particularly for certain diseases where they're going to travel overseas... we give people a certificate saying they have been vaccinated," she said.

"But that certificate doesn't say they are immune and there's a difference. We don't know yet whether somebody who has had this virus is immune. They have antibodies, they've clearly been exposed, yet will those antibodies protect them against reinfection? I'm not sure that we know that.

"So to give a certificate saying somebody is immune, I think is actually quite dangerous because: A, we don't know if it's true and B, it could give people a slight sense of false security, where they start to do things that they wouldn't otherwise do. I think it's very risky and I don't think it's necessary."


08:44 PM

Britons again show gratitude to NHS heroes

The Clap For Our Carers campaign once again brought the nation together on Thursday night.

In a single act of solidarity with frontline workers, Britons took to streets, balconies and doorsteps banging pots and pans and clapping for those working on the front lines in the battle against the Covid-19 outbreak.


08:37 PM

Finland makes social media influencers key-workers

In this time of crisis, Finland has brought out the big guns - its social media influencers.

Helsinki has put influencers in the same key-worker category as medics, supermarket workers and bus drivers in order to help the government spread health information online.

The 1,500 influencers working with the government, who command hefty fees by promoting products and services in an informal manner on social media platforms such as Instagram, will not be paid for their work.

“We are aware that government communication doesn’t reach everyone. Before this was possible through traditional media like television, but today especially young people get their news through social media,” Aapo Riihimäki, a communications specialist at the Finnish prime minister’s office, told Politico.

“This is an honour,” Inari Fernández, who commands 100,000 viewers on YouTube a month and has 34,000 Instagram followers, said. “I would refuse a fee. This is our duty as citizens.”


08:30 PM

Top Gun: Maverick latest film hit by release date delay

Top Gun: Maverick has become the latest Hollywood film to have its release delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The action movie sequel was due to be released on June 24 - 34 years after the 1986 original - but will now debut in cinemas on December 23.

Tom Cruise, who is returning as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, said fans would have to wait "a little longer" to see his much-loved naval aviator head back to the skies.

The actor, 57, said on Twitter: "I know many of you have waited 34 years. Unfortunately, it will be a little longer. Top Gun: Maverick will fly this December. Stay safe, everyone."


08:20 PM

The Trump Organization explores possibility of delaying loan payments

Our Washington Editor Nick Allen has the latest from the US:

The Trump Organization has been exploring the possibility of delaying payments on some of its loans and financial obligations due to the coronavirus pandemic, the New York Times reported.

Some Trump golf courses and hotels have temporarily closed amid widespread safety measures. According to the report the organisation has made preliminary inquiries with Deutsche Bank, its largest creditor, and Palm Beach County.

It leases land from Palm Beach County for a golf club. Eric Trump, the president's son who manages the family business, told the New York Times: "These days everybody is working together.

"Tenants are working with landlords, landlords are working with banks. The whole world is working together as we fight through this pandemic.”

All the discussions were reported to be "preliminary".

Amid the pandemic the Trump Organizaion has made temporary closures, including its Las Vegas hotel, the Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, and golf clubs in Florida and New Jersey.

Mr Trump signed a government rescue package for businesses worth hundreds of billions of dollars but his family businesses are not allowed to access it.


08:10 PM

North Korea insists it is free of coronavirus

North Korea remains totally free of the coronavirus, a senior health official in Pyongyang has insisted, despite mounting scepticism overseas as known cases of infection topped one million worldwide.

The already isolated, nuclear-armed North quickly shut down its borders after the virus was first detected in neighbouring China in January, and imposed strict containment measures.

Pak Myong Su, director of the anti-epidemic department of the North's Central Emergency Anti-epidemic Headquarters, insisted that the efforts had been completely successful.

"Not one single person has been infected with the novel coronavirus in our country so far," Pak said. "We have carried out preemptive and scientific measures such as inspections and quarantine for all personnel entering our country and thoroughly disinfecting all goods, as well as closing borders and blocking sea and air lanes."


08:03 PM

Care home residents and staff back NHS workers

Residents and staff members at Anya Court care home in Rugby joined in with #ClapForCarers tonight.


07:59 PM

How Britons thanked NHS with a second round

The Clap For Our Carers campaign once again brought the nation together on Thursday night, reports Jessica Carpani.

In a single act of solidarity with front line workers, Britons took to streets, balconies and doorsteps banging pots and pans and clapping for those working on the front lines in the battle against the Covid-19 outbreak.

Read more about how the nation thanked our carers here.


07:52 PM

Police admit error after woman fined for breaching lockdown rules

A woman who was fined £660 for breaking new coronavirus lockdown rules could have her conviction set aside after it emerged police misinterpreted the legislation.

Marie Dinou, 41, from York, was arrested at Newcastle Central Station on Saturday after she allegedly failed to tell officers why she needed to travel, British Transport Police (BTP) said.

She was arrested on suspicion of breaking restrictions imposed under the Coronavirus Act 2020 and subsequently fined at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court on Monday.

But the BTP said that, following a joint review with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), it had established that she was charged under the incorrect section of the Coronavirus Act.

The BTP said it has now agreed to contact the court and ask for the case to be relisted and the conviction set aside.


07:45 PM

Global cases pass one million

There are more one million declared cases of coronavirus worldwide, according to an AFP tally on Thursday at 7pm GMT.

At least 1,000,036 infections have been recorded across 188 countries, including 51,718 deaths, according to an AFP calculation based on official country data and World Health Organization figures.


07:41 PM

Malawi records first cases

Malawi has recorded its first three confirmed cases of the coronavirus, President Peter Mutharika said in an address to the nation on Thursday. All three infected with the virus are from the capital Lilongwe.


07:33 PM

Virus-hit cruise ship Zaandam cleared to dock in Florida

The virus-hit cruise ship Zaandam, which has dozens of ill passengers and crew on board, has been cleared to dock in Florida Thursday after days stranded at sea, officials and a passenger said.

"The Coast Guard, Homeland Security, health officials, and Broward County have reached a decision to allow the #Zaandam and #Rotterdam cruise ships to dock" in Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, the city's mayor Dean Trantalis said on Twitter.

The Zaandam and its sister ship the Rotterdam, operated by Holland America Line, have been stranded after authorities in several South American countries refused them port access.

Rick De Pinho, a Zaandam passenger who was transferred to the Rotterdam at sea, sent AFP a recording of a message from the ship's captain confirming port clearance had been granted.


07:23 PM

Watch: Government wipes £13bn of NHS debt to help trusts fight coronavirus


07:14 PM

World Bank releases $1.9bn to developing countries in bid to fight coronavirus

The World Bank has unveiled how $1.9 billion of emergency funds will be spent fighting the coronavirus pandemic in 25 developing countries, reports Sarah Newey.

The money will help them respond to the immediate health challenges posed by the pandemic, mostly by supporting critical infrastructure.

The bank warned the money must not be spent on debt interest and asked richer nations to suspend the debit interest payments of poor nations during the crisis.

Included in today’s package is $47 million to put in place containment strategies, train medical staff and provide equipment in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

And in India, $1 billion will be used to produce personal protective equipment, set up new isolation wards and support better screening, contact tracing and laboratory diagnostics.

Read the full story here.


07:04 PM

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge call colleagues of the first frontline NHS to die

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have phoned the colleagues of the first frontline NHS hospital worker to die after contracting coronavirus to sympathise with their loss and praise their "incredible" efforts.

William and Kate "shared in our grief", staff from Queen's Hospital Burton in the West Midlands said after the royals rang on Wednesday to talk about consultant Amged El-Hawrani.

Mr El-Hawrani, an ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon, died at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Saturday after contracting Covid-19 from his patients.

Adrian Thompson, an ENT consultant at the Burton on Trent hospital where Mr El-Hawrani had worked, said: "I have worked with Amged for 14 years at Queen's Hospital. He was a close friend and colleague and was highly respected by everybody who worked with him.

"We are all aware of the seriousness of Covid but when it takes the life of one of our own it hits us a bit harder. Their royal highnesses were very empathetic in offering their condolences and they were really sorry to hear we had lost a colleague."

The duke and duchess chatted via speaker phone from their Norfolk home to hospital staff in Staffordshire whose shifts had been arranged so they were able to briefly step away from their duties without patient care suffering.

During the call the duke said: "We'd just like to say from the two of us how proud we are of all of you, and how amazingly you are all doing under extreme circumstances."

William went on to say: "I know all of you see this as your job and that you get on with it, but this is a different level and you are doing an incredible job.

"The whole country is proud of you so thank you for everything you're doing and all the hours you are putting in."


06:48 PM

Don't forget to clap at 8pm tonight!

The nationwide applause for NHS workers will start at 8pm tonight.

Britain will once again unite to thank those on the frontline of the battle against the coronavirus.

Last week the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge posted a video of their three children - George, Charlotte and Louis - clapping, while Prime Minister Boris Johnson joined from Downing Street.

Households across the UK took part, holding signs, cheering and some even setting off fireworks.


06:43 PM

Jaguar Land Rover turns to production of visors for key workers

Car giant Jaguar Land Rover is turning over its prototype build operations to start production of protective visors for key workers.

The design has been developed in consultation with a team of NHS healthcare professionals for rapid prototype printing at the Advanced Product Creation Centre in Gaydon, Midlands, home to one of the most advanced 3D printing facilities in Europe.

Through collaboration with companies such as Pro2Pro in Telford, the ambition is to produce 5,000 visors a week for NHS trusts across the country.

Pre-line trials have already taken place with a team of healthcare professionals at the Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust before assembly began earlier this week.

Engineers, who have designed and manufactured the visors, are now in discussions with suppliers and partners to scale up production.Each face visor has been designed to be reusable, and can be easily dismantled and cleaned before being used again.


06:31 PM

ITV to pause programming as public applaud NHS workers

ITV will pause its programming as the nation pays tribute to NHS workers on the frontline this Thursday night.

Ahead of The Martin Lewis Money Show at 8pm, the channel will temporarily switch off as people join together for a mass round of applause from their doorsteps, windows and balconies.

The first Clap For Carers took place on Thursday March 26, and is expected to continue on a weekly basis.

ITV's regular programming will be replaced by idents created by ITV Creative, encouraging viewers to donate to NHS Charities Together.


06:20 PM

'Don't go out,’ pleads tearful NHS worker with Covid-19

An NHS worker who tested positive for coronavirus has posted a message from her hospital bed to warn people to stay at home.

In a moving video posted on Facebook, Sharon Cook said she was on the mend but still struggled to breathe and was using an oxygen tank.

Read more here.


06:17 PM

Milan shuts crematorium to deal with backlog

Milan on Thursday shut its main crematorium for the rest of the month to deal with the surge of bodies that have accumulated in the course of the coronavirus pandemic.

The main city of Italy's epicentre of the global outbreak said it was experiencing a "constant and progressive increase of the deceased awaiting cremation".

A statement from its city council said the current wait for bodies at the Crematorio di Lambrate was around 20 days.A wait any longer could cause "hygiene-sanitary problems," the city council said on its website.


06:06 PM

Gibraltar reports first suspected death

The government of Gibraltar has said that a 57-year-old man who died last night is probably the territory’s first casualty of Covid-19, although he had not been tested for the virus.

The man was found dead in his home after he called an ambulance complaining of breathing difficulties. A post-mortem will determine the exact cause of death.

Gibraltar has tested 979 of its 34,000 inhabitants, with 88 positives being detected, 42 of whom continue to be infected.


05:59 PM

'Reckless' man jailed over hospital trip

A "reckless" man has been jailed for wandering around his local hospital to see the impact of Covid-19. Kierran Stevenson, 32, was sentenced to three months in prison at Oxford Magistrates' Court after posting his exploits on Facebook.

He was captured on CCTV at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, near Aylesbury, in Buckinghamshire, on Monday, after posting on social media that he was going to go walk around the hospital to see the extent of the coronavirus pandemic for himself.

He shared photos on Facebook of himself at the hospital and images of the corridors as he claimed that staff were not taking safety measures seriously, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

In one post, he wrote that he was going to Asda in Stoke Mandeville before a walk around the hospital, saying: "Time to have a look with my own eyes!"

Stevenson pleaded guilty to causing a public nuisance and contravening requirement as to restriction of movement during the emergency period. As well as being jailed for the offence, he was also ordered to pay £300 compensation to the hospital trust.


05:49 PM

More temporary hospitals likely

Mr Hancock said more temporary hospitals, like the new Nightingale Hospital at the ExCeL conference centre in east London, and the ones planned for Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow, could be needed.

He said: "Building the extra capacity is incredibly important. I'm so proud of the people who have built the Nightingale Hospital in nine days.

"And the role of the Ghurkas and the military and the NHS all working together to make that happen.

"And we are rolling that out to Birmingham and to Manchester and to Glasgow but don't rule out putting temporary hospitals in other parts of the country too."


05:47 PM

Immunity certificates could be rolled out

Mr Hancock confirmed the Government was considering issuing people with immunity certificates once the antibody tests are ready for roll out.

"We are looking at an immunity certificate - how people who have had the disease, have got the antibodies and therefore have the immunity can show that and so get back, as much as possible, to normal life," he said.

"That is an important thing we will be doing and are looking at.

"It is too early in the science of the immunity that comes about from having the disease to be able to put clarity around that."


05:45 PM

Antibody tests 'have not performed well'

The Telegraph's Political Editor, Gordon Rayner, asked Mr Hancock about the availability of antibody tests.

On March 24, the Prime Minister described antibody tests as a "game changer" and announced 3.5 million of them would soon be available.

This has not been the case however, with Mr Hancock revealing that they "have not performed well" in practice runs.

"We've now bought 17 and a half million tests, subject to them working," said Mr Hancock.

"Early results of some of them have not performed well, but we're hopeful they will improve and the later tests we've got our hands on will be able to be reliable enough for people to use with confidence."


05:37 PM

Premier League footballers should take pay cut

Matt Hancock has called on Premier League footballers to "take a pay cut" to play their part in the national effort to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak.

He was asked if footballers should take a pay cut where staff at clubs have been furloughed - asked to take a leave of absence - because no matches are being played.

He said: "I think that everybody needs to play their part in this national effort and that means Premier League footballers too.

"Given the sacrifices that many people are making, including some of my colleagues in the NHS who have made the ultimate sacrifice of going into work and have caught the disease and have sadly died, I think the first thing that Premier League footballers can do is make a contribution, take a pay cut and play their part."


05:34 PM

Hancock defends his and the PM's test for Covid-19

Asked about his own test for Covid-19 and under which criteria he was tested, Mr Hancock justified the decision.

"I think it was quite right that the Prime Minister was tested and I was tested," he said.

"There is a clear protocol that has been set out by the chief medical officer for who should get tests and the decision was that those who are in senior decision making positions as well as those who are in the critical jobs on the frontline need to get those tests."


05:29 PM

No end to lockdown in sight, says Public Health England director

Professor John Newton, director of public health improvement for Public Health England, said it is still not known how long the lockdown will go on for.

He added that antibody tests for the public were "vital" for understanding who had immunity when social distancing measures are eventually relaxed.

"The lockdown is an extraordinary measure to take and there is no doubt, scientifically, that it is required at the moment," he said.

"And it should continue really as long as the scientific evidence suggests that is the right thing to control the spread the infection. The difficult thing is we don't quite know yet how long that is going to be.

"But testing contributes in two ways. Firstly, the testing will be vital, when the lockdown does start to lift, to allow people to differentiate people who may have immunity and those who haven't been infected and wouldn't have immunity.

"Before we get there, the testing will provide the information about the spread of the virus and how infection has passed through different groups. That information is what we use to inform models and inform decisions about the lockdown itself."


05:25 PM

Knowledge of virus still has gaps, says Prof Powis

Professor Powis said there were "still things that we don't know about" the coronavirus which would help plot the strategy going forwards.

These are:

  • How many people are asymptomatic, meaning they do not know they have the virus and potentially spread it to others inadvertently.

  • How long immunity to the coronavirus lasts after a patient has recovered,

  • What drugs work in the treatment of the disease.


05:20 PM

UK deaths will not peak for weeks

Professor Powis has explained that the UK is likely to see an increase in coronavirus deaths for a "few weeks yet" until the impact of social distancing measures is ostensible.

A Cabinet Office slide shows a global comparison of coronavirus deaths
A Cabinet Office slide shows a global comparison of coronavirus deaths

05:17 PM

Participation in social distancing is increasing

Stephen Powis, the national medical director of NHS England, has stressed the importance of social distancing as the "key thing" to reduce the spread of the virus.

"By doing that we reduce the chance that the virus is transmitted from one person to another - we reduce the spread of the virus and if we do that successfully then the number of cases start to reduce," he said.

"We continue to see a large reduction in the usage of public transport which a good thing and reflects the compliance that we all have with the instructions we have been given.

"Motor vehicle use went up a couple of days, but its not gone up any further and personally I would like to see that come down a bit more."

A Cabinet Office slide shows the reduction in public transport use
A Cabinet Office slide shows the reduction in public transport use

05:11 PM

NHS staff to get testing by end of month

Mr Hancock said NHS staff will be able to get tested for Covid-19 "absolutely before the end of the month".

He added: "With 5,000 tested since (staff testing) started at the weekend we've clearly made significant progress."


05:08 PM

No-deal Brexit preparations bolsters coronavirus response

Mr Hancock said that the Government's preparations for a no-deal Brexit means the UK has one of the best understandings of supply chains in the world.

As a result, the Government is "currently confident" that the UK has the supply of medicines needed.

"We have a very detailed plan for making sure that we have the full supply of medicines, including the ones that you mention, sedatives and all the medicines needed for those who have Covid-19 and people being ventilated.

"We probably have one of the strongest understandings of the supply chain of anywhere in the world because of the preparations we did for a no-deal Brexit, and we keep them constantly under review.

"In fact, I took a meeting on this question today. So whilst we, of course with the lockdowns around the world, we are highly vigilant, we are currently confident that we have the supplies of medicines that are needed."


05:02 PM

Mr Hancock explains 'five-pillar' testing strategy

Laying out his "five-pillar" testing strategy, Mr Hancock said that would be the route to moving from 10,000 tests a day to 100,000.

They are:

  1. Swab testing in Public Health England and NHS labs;

  2. Using commercial partners, including universities and private businesses, to establish more swab testing;

  3. Introducing antibody blood tests to determine whether people have had Covid-19;

  4. Surveillance to determine the rate of infection and how it is spreading across the country;

  5. Build an "at-scale" diagnostics industry to reach 100,000 tests by end of April.


04:53 PM

UK hindered in testing by lack of large diagnostics industry

The UK is facing a global shortage of key components for coronavirus tests, from swabs to chemical reagents.

Mr Hancock said the UK lacked a large diagnostics industry so was having to build from a "lower base" than the likes of Germany, which is testing at greater levels for coronavirus.

He said a country-wide shortage of swabs had been "resolved" but that there remained a "global challenge" around sourcing the reagent chemicals needed for the tests.

"We did not start this crisis with a large diagnostics industry but that doesn’t mean that we can’t build one," he said.


04:50 PM

100,000 tests per day by the end of April

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he was "setting the goal" of reaching 100,000 tests for the coronavirus per day by the end of April.

Mr Hancock added that NHS workers will be tested soon, before key workers and finally members of the public.

"Let's first be clear about the goal - always to ensure that testing is available to patients who need it next to expand testing to critical NHS staff and their families, and I can announce today that we are expanding testing for NHS staff further.

"Third as we ramp up the numbers we will test critical key workers and over time we’ll expand testing to the community. Our ultimate goal is that anyone who needs a test will have one."


04:43 PM

Hancock defends prioritising patients over NHS staff

Mr Hancock has defended his decision to prioritise testing of patients over NHS staff and said he thought any health secretary would have done the same.

He said: "There is the challenges of prioritisation - look I understand why NHS staff want tests so they can get back to the frontline - of course I do - but I took the decision that the first priority has to be the patients for whom the result of a test could be the different in treatment that is the different in life and death.

"I believe anybody in my shoes would have taken the same decision."


04:40 PM

Roll out of tests is faster than Swine Flu pandemic

Mr Hancock said: "Public Health England can be incredibly proud of the world beating work they have done so far on testing - the roll out of Public Health England’s Covid 19 diagnostic test is the fastest deployment of a novel test in recent history - including faster than the swine flu pandemic in 2009."


04:38 PM

Approving tests that do not work is dangerous, says Mr Hancock

Mr Hancock is now addressing the issue of testing for the coronavirus. The Health Secretary expressed reluctance to roll out any testing that is not throughly vetted, pointing towards a recent test which missed three out of four coronavirus cases.

He said: "Several of the tests that we are currently testing have failed. In one case a test that I am being urged to buy missed 3 out of 4 positive cases of coronavirus.

"That means that in 3 quarters of cases that test would have given the false comfort of sending someone with coronavirus back on the wards. Approving tests that don’t work is dangerous and I will not do it."


04:35 PM

Deceased NHS workers gave their lives in sacrifice

The Health Secretary has thanked healthcare workers for their efforts during the pandemic, saying those who have lost their lives did so in sacrifice.

He said: "I am awed by the dedication of colleagues on the front line - every single person who contributes to the running of this diverse and caring institution that our nation holds so dear

"Many of those who have died in the NHS were people who came to this country to make a difference and they did and they have given their lives in sacrifice and we salute them.


04:31 PM

Rate of infection has doubled every three to four days

The rate of infection has doubled every three to four days, says Mr Hancock. The Heath Secretary added that the united response to the pandemic should be applauded.

"We are steadfast in our resolves to beat this invisible killer," He said.

"Our step by step action plan is aiming to slow the spread of the virus so fewer people need hospital treatment at any one time protecting the NHS's ability to cope.

"At each point we’ve been following scientific and medical advice and have been deliberate in our action taking the right steps at the right time."


04:28 PM

Matt Hancock is live

Health Secretary Matt Hancock is giving the Government's daily update on Covid-1. You can watch at the top of this page.

Mr Hancock begins the conference by thanking everyone involved in the organisation of the Nightingale Hospital.


04:27 PM

Navy hospital ship sets sail for Carribean

Navy hospital ship RFA Argus has set sail for the Caribbean to support the British Overseas Territories as the Covid-19 pandemic worsens in the region.

The 100-bed primary casualty receiving ship, part of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, has set sail from Devonport to act as a base for a medical team to deploy to if needed to treat coronavirus patients, as well as those affected during hurricane season.


04:19 PM

Frenchman given one-year jail term for selling face masks

A Paris court on Thursday handed a one-year prison sentence and a fine of 10,000 euros to a man caught selling face masks on the street, defying the government's order to reserve all masks for medical workers facing shortfalls because of the coronavirus outbreak.

It was the first conviction in the capital after several people were charged when police found illicit stocks of masks in recent weeks, a legal source said.

Officers found about 20,000 of the highly-protective FFP1 and FFP2 masks at the man's home in the 19th district of Paris after an investigation was launched last weekend.

The source did not specify how much the man was charging for the masks.


04:08 PM

Shop queue-jumper arrested after staff cars 'keyed' following ejection

A supermarket queue-jumper has been arrested after shop workers' cars were "keyed" following his ejection from the store.

West Midlands Police said the man was arrested from an address in Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, following the incident at a Sainsbury's store in the Bentley Bridge area of the town on Tuesday.

The force said it is understood the 34-year-old barged his way to the front of checkout queues and demanded to be served before others who were waiting two metres apart.

The suspect was ejected by store staff and five shop workers found their vehicles had been scratched in the car park the following day.

After viewing CCTV footage, the force said the man was arrested on five counts of criminal damage on Thursday.

He remains in police custody for questioning, police said.

Sergeant Robert Dalton from Wolverhampton Police, said: "Staff at food retailers across the West Midlands have been working hard to keep everyone fed and to stay on top of demand. We won't tolerate abuse or attacks against key workers."


03:58 PM

Matt Hancock set to give media briefing

Health Secretary Matt Hancock is due to give the Government's daily update on Covid-19 at 5pm.

Mr Hancock is expected to face questions from journalists, with the government facing increased pressure over testing rates for the virus.

You can watch the live via the video above. Stay here for the latest developments as they happen.


03:53 PM

Furloughed BA staff to get 80 per cent of pay

British Airways will introduce its own modified version of the Government's job retention scheme, with workers to be furloughed on 80 per cent of pay, because of the coronavirus crisis, the Unite union said.

Talks are ongoing over the fate of thousands of BA workers who face being laid off because of the coronavirus crisis.


03:46 PM

Iraq has confirmed thousands more COVID-19 cases than reported, medics say

Iraq has thousands of confirmed COVID-19 cases, many times more than the 772 it is has publicly reported, according to three doctors closely involved in the testing process, a health ministry official and a senior political official.

Iraq's health ministry said in its latest daily statement on Thursday that the total recorded confirmed cases for Iraq were 772, with 54 deaths.

But the three doctors, who work in pharmaceutical teams helping test suspected COVID-19 cases in Baghdad, each said that confirmed cases of the disease, based on discussions among fellow medics who see daily results, were between about 3,000 and 9,000 although they each gave different estimates.

The health ministry official, who also works in testing for COVID-19 said that there were more than 2,000 confirmed cases from eastern Baghdad alone, not counting the number in other areas or provinces.


03:37 PM

Man charged over coronavirus-related 'threats' to NHS hospital

A man has been arrested after allegedly ringing a hospital treating coronavirus patients to make threats towards staff.

West Midlands Police said Matthew Wain had been charged with making a menacing phone call to Birmingham's City Hospital, after allegedly posting a YouTube video entitled "I hope all NHS die".

Wain was arrested from a flat in Birmingham in the early hours of Wednesday "in connection with a YouTube video in which a man recorded himself making a phone call to City Hospital," the force said.

The 31-year-old, from the Perry Barr area of the city, is alleged to have made threats to staff during a phone call and said: "I hope the staff die of coronavirus."

Wain has been charged with sending malicious communications and has been bailed to appear at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on April 29, a police spokesman said.


03:27 PM

Police surprise birthday boy stuck inside due to lockdown

A boy celebrating his birthday during the coronavirus lockdown got a day to remember when his local police force turned up to say hi.

Seven-year-old Frankie from Barrow faced spending his birthday stuck inside, but PC Wallbank had other ideas.

The officer sang happy birthday to the youngster through a megaphone before handing over a present to make sure Frankie would remember this day for something other than being stuck at home.


03:20 PM

Russia extends lockdown to end of April

Russia has extended its coronavirus lockdown until the end of April, reports our Moscow correspondent Nataliya Vasilyeva.

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, made the announcement on Thursday in a televised address to the nation, stopping short of offering any specific measures to help private businesses and their employees who risk losing their jobs.

What he previously called a “non-working week” with full pay will be extended and employees will get paid, President Putin said without specifying how small and medium-sized businesses across the country are supposed to pay salaries when their revenue streams have dried up.

Moscow imposed a full lockdown on Monday, with most of Russia’s 85 regions following the suit.

President Putin kept insisting early last week that the outbreak was under control but admitted on Thursday that “we have not reached the peak of the epidemic globally as well as in our country.”

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Russia surged by the biggest one-day jump to 3,548 on Thursday.

In a move designed to make regional authorities responsible for bad news, President Putin on Thursday vested governors with extra powers to regulate lockdowns. Mr Putin’s failure to offer support for businesses has triggered a wave of criticism.

“Putin doesn’t understand or refuses to understand the most basic thing: people have no money to just stay at home, and their employers have no money to pay everyone,” Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny tweeted. “Not a single rouble to support people. Traitor.”


03:11 PM

Ofcom rules against radio station over guest's coronavirus comments

Ofcom has said that a local radio station broke broadcasting rules when one of its guests suggested the Covid-19 outbreak was caused by the rollout of 5G mobile technology.

A spokeswoman for the media watchdog said that the guest's statements "were not sufficiently challenged" and could "undermine people's trust in the advice of mainstream sources of information".

The rule breach, which she added amounted to "serious failings", occurred on Sussex-based community radio station Uckfield FM.

The interviewee, who said that the outbreak in Wuhan was linked to new mobile technology, also suggested that the public are being misled over the coronavirus.

Ofcom is currently prioritising cases linked to the coronavirus where broadcasts may have helped spread misinformation about the illness.


03:03 PM

Are you following the lockdown rules?

Earlier today we asked you all whether you're following the lockdown rules imposed by the UK Government. And the overwhelming majority of you have said yes.

After 2,200 responses the results are as follows:

  • Yes - to the letter: 76 per cent

  • No - it's impossible: 4 per cent

  • Partly - as much as I can: 20 per cent


02:58 PM

WHO warn pandemic is growing 'exponentially' across Africa

The head of the World Health Organization in Africa has warned that the continent's outbreak is growing "exponentially".

More than 6,000 cases have now been confirmed in the region, but the WHO say that the virus is threatening already fragile health systems and cases have been detected in some of countries and localities most ill-equipped to respond.

The UN agency highlights the Democratic Republic of the Congo as one example - while Covid-19 cases were initially confined to Kinshasa, the capital city, a handful of cases have now been reported in the easternmost regions of the country that were until recently in the grip of an Ebola outbreak.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, said that “case numbers are increasing exponentially in the African region.”

But she added that any restrictions on the movement of people must be implemented in a a “considered, evidence-based manner”, ensuring that people can continue to access basic necessities. She said:

“For socially restrictive measures to be effective, they must be accompanied by strong, sustained and targeted public health measures that locate, isolate, test and treat Covid-19 cases.”

Concerns have been raised that some governments across the continent have used undue force to implement lockdowns and curfews.


02:48 PM

Russia: Putin extends non-working period

President Vladimir Putin has announced that the "non-working" period will be extended until the end of April to combat the coronavirus.

"I've taken a decision to extend the period of non-working days until April 30," Putin said in a televised address, adding that each region can decide what lockdown measures are needed.

But he said there are exceptions allowing for essential industries to keep operating, while grocery stores and pharmacies will remain open.

Putin added that Russia's virus-prevention strategies have bought time and helped slow down the outbreak in the country, but he also warned that infections haven't yet peaked.

Russia had reported 3540 and 30 virus-related deaths as of Thursday, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally. Experts have questioned how accurate those numbers are, given Russia's vast size and shared borders with China and Europe.


02:41 PM

Afternoon update

If you're just joining us, here's an overview of everything you need to know today.

UK updates:

  • Another 569 fatalities have been reported in the UK and cases have risen by 13 per cent. The death toll now stands at 2,921 amid 33,718 confirmed infections.

  • Boris Johnson has urged people not to leave home after new data has revealed an uptick in public transport use in the last few days.

  • Downing Street have said that 45 million units of PPE were delivered to NHS trusts and providers yesterday, while 2,800 NHS staff have now been tested at drive-in Covid-19 testing facilities.

  • Meanwhile the row over testing has escalated, and junior health minister Nadine Dorries has landed in hot water after claiming that testing is "not a cure" for the coronavirus outbreak, just hours after Boris Johnson said it was "how we will defeat it in the end."

  • Comedian Eddie Large has died after contracting Covid-19 aged 78. The Little And Large star was best known for his partnership with Syd Little.

  • British Airways is in talks with its union about a plan to suspend roughly 36,000 staff so it can survive the coronavirus pandemic.

And key headlines from the rest of the world:

  • US unemployment claims have doubled in a week to record-shattering 6.6 million people.

  • A six-week old baby has died in Connecticut, US after contracting a coronavirus infection, the state governor has confirmed.

  • The coronavirus death toll in Spain has surpassed 10,000 after a record 950 deaths in 24 hours. Like the US unemployment figures out today show a historically bad month: 300,000 more people out of work by the end of March, on top of the more than a million who have been placed on temporary redundancy schemes.

  • Thailand has announced that a nationwide curfew will come into force between 10pm and 4am from tomorrow.

  • Indonesia's outbreak has become the deadliest in Asia, outside China. But there are concerns that a relatively low level of testing means thousands of infections are spreading undetected.

  • Greece has quarantined a migrant camp after 20 asylum seekers tested positive for coronavirus - experts have warned overcrowded migrant camps are a "ticking health bomb".

  • In Japan the Prime Minister is under fire after offering households two free cloth masks instead of imposing a lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19.

  • European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has expressed concern that the sweeping powers included in Hungary's coronavirus emergency laws "go too far".

  • Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has told security forces they should shoot dead anyone causing "trouble" in areas locked down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

  • India's largest slum has reported its first coronavirus death, raising concerns cases could be far higher than the current total - India has reported 2,032 infections and 58 deaths.

  • A woman from the Kokama ethnic group in the Amazon rainforest is the first indigenous person in Brazil to test positive for the new coronavirus.


02:32 PM

​Volunteer army to deploy next week

The volunteer scheme that attracted 750,000 people keen to help the NHS through the coronavirus crisis is expected to properly launch next week, Harry Yorke reports.

Recruitment of the "volunteer army" was paused after the appeal attracted three times the initial target as the country answered the biggest call for volunteers in England since the Second World War.

The Government launched the appeal last week for 250,000 volunteers to help vulnerable people who are self-isolating for 12 weeks.

Those signing up will help to deliver shopping and medication to those in need, transport patients and NHS equipment, or check in and chat on the phone with individuals at risk of loneliness as a result of self-isolation.

Successful applicants received an email telling them they are an NHS Volunteer Responder and "can start supporting your community and NHS by assisting with vital requests needed during such a crucial time".


02:20 PM

Reaction: New UK figures 'as expected' and social distancing 'must continue'

Experts are reacting to the latest numbers released by the Department of Health and Social Care today.

Keith Neal, professor of the epidemiology of infectious diseases at University of Nottingham, said the figures "are much in line with expectations".

"There is continuing evidence that the social distancing measures put in place on the 16th and then 23rd of March could be having an effect in slowing the rate of increase of new infections.

"The current social distancing needs to be maintained and it is also a reminder that not only the old and those with underlying conditions can get severe disease."

Prof Jim Naismith, from the Rosalind Franklin Institute and Oxford University, added that we should be cautious about drawing conclusions from daily numbers:

"We must remember that today’s report of 569 deaths will have left many more people grief stricken.

"That the number has not leapt up again today as it did yesterday is clearly a relief but it should not be construed as positive sign on our progress in halting the virus.

"Scientists have repeatedly pointed out that day to day figures on deaths are not a useful guide to our efforts against the disease for two main reasons.

"Firstly, deaths lag behind infections in time (up to a month), so we will not see the effect of the strict government lock down for a further two weeks or so. Secondly, some of the deaths being reported today occurred two weeks ago and different NHS trusts are reporting different time periods."


02:12 PM

Rush on supermarkets in Mauritius after 10 day closure

Residents of the Indian Ocean island nation Mauritius rushed to supermarkets on Thursday after they had been shut for 10 days under a lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Mauritius, usually a paradise holiday destination known for pristine beaches and coral reefs, has the most cases in eastern Africa with 161 infected and seven deaths.

The country was one of the first in Africa to impose a lockdown on March 20 - when cases still stood at seven - going so far as to shut supermarkets.

Aware that people's stocks were starting to run low, the government decided to re-open under strict rules which divides people into three alphabetical groups which decides on which days they are allowed to shop.

Prakash Beeharry, a primary school teacher, told AFP he was lucky his surname starts with a 'B'.

"My neighbour, Mr Jayen Veerasamy, has to wait two more days before he can access the supermarket.

"We only had 30 minutes to get all the groceries. Quite a challenge. I'm 45 years old and I've never experienced this... I hope things don't get worse."


02:01 PM

Covid blamed for record number of UFO sightings in Belgium

And another slightly surreal story, this time from James Crisp in Brussels:

The Covid-19 lockdown, clear weather and Elon Musk have caused the highest number of sightings since Belgium's great 'UFO wave' of 1989.

There were 87 reports of potential alien spaceships in March in Belgium, most of them in Dutch-speaking Flanders, and 188 in the first three months of the year.

Frederick Delaere, the coordinator of the Belgian UFO Reporting Centre, said Belgium’s imposition of lockdown measures to fight the coronavirus was likely to be responsible:

“We suspect that the clear weather of the past few days and the Covid-19 measures have caused this strong increase,” he told the Telegraph.

“Hundreds of thousands of Belgian citizens are currently at home in lockdown because of the crisis and are probably looking more at the sky.”

Read the full story here.


01:51 PM

Meet east London's 'new antlered overlords'

The four horsemen of the apocalypse have failed to materialise so far this month, but Billy Bragg has spotted the next best thing in east London, writes Thom Gibbs.

Bragg famously didn’t want to change the world, was just looking for a new England. He found it on Wednesday in Harold Hill in Romford, which seems to have been taken over by a leash of deer.

Yes, that’s one of the permissible collective nouns for deer. Yes, I’ve just looked it up.

The songwriter alerted the world to the unusual mix of deer and suburbia via Twitter, saying: “While the goats in Llandudno are getting all the publicity, how about a shout out for these deer who have colonised the empty streets of Harold Hill in east London?”

What does it all mean? The sudden drop in human activity has made the animals bold! We can live together in perfect harmony! Or… the deer are coming, and they’re taking over. I for one welcome our new antlered overlords.

While the goats in Llandudno are getting all the publicity, how about a shout out for these deer who have colonised the empty streets of Harold Hill in east London? - Billy Bragg Twitter
While the goats in Llandudno are getting all the publicity, how about a shout out for these deer who have colonised the empty streets of Harold Hill in east London? - Billy Bragg Twitter

You can find more positive takes on today's news cycle in this article.


01:44 PM

Downing Street: PPE is now reaching the frontline

The Government is confident personal protective equipment (PPE) is now reaching the front line, with more than 45 million units being delivered to NHS trusts and providers on Wednesday, Number 10 said.

PPE has also been provided to over 26,000 care homes, home care providers and hospices.

The PM's spokesman said:

"We have now delivered 397 million products of PPE over the past two weeks, including masks, alcohol hand rub and aprons.

"Yesterday, over 45.5 million units of PPE were delivered to 280 trusts and providers, including five million aprons, one million of the FFP3 face masks, six million surgical masks and 21 million gloves.

"We do recognise that there have been some distribution problems while we have been dealing with the surge in demand.

"We are confident that the supply is now reaching the front line. Where that is not the case there is a 24-hour NHS-run hotline where NHS and social care workers can call to request the PPE that they need."


01:34 PM

Eight hospital trusts record at least 15 fatalities

According to the data from NHS England, 15 or more new deaths have been reported in the the following Hospital Trusts:

  • Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust: 28

  • University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust: 28

  • Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospital NHS Trust: 25

  • King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: 21

  • Liverpool University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: 21

  • County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust: 18

  • North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust: 18

  • South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: 15


01:22 PM

25 year old with no underlying health conditions among fatalities

In England 561 fatalities have been reported in the last 24 hours, with patients aged between 22 and 100 years old.

According to a statement from NHS England, 44 of these people had no known underlying health conditions. These patients were aged between 25 and 100.

Meanwhile, a further 19 deaths in Wales bringing total to 117. And deaths in Scotland have risen by 50 to 126.


01:05 PM

Breaking: UK death toll rises to 2,921

Cases in the UK have risen to 33,718 - up from 29,872, the Department for Health and Social Care has announced.

As of 5pm on 1 April, of those hospitalised in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus, 2,921 have sadly died - an increase of 569 since yesterday's update.

This makes the jump the largest reported in the UK so far - just. Yesterday 563 fatalities were reported.


01:03 PM

'People are dying left and right': inside New York's coronavirus battle

The coronavirus case numbers in New York, the epicentre of the US outbreak, are mind-boggling.

Around 50,000 residents have tested positive. That is one in 20 of the world total, or one in 4 US cases. It dwarfs Britain's figure of 30,000.

The surge, up from zero a little more than a month ago, has put immense pressure on the city's hospitals, with numbers forecast to soar for at least another fortnight.

The Telegraph has talked to 10 healthcare workers on the frontline of the city's battle against coronavirus to understand what is really happening on the ground.

“People are dying, just dying left and right,” one patient care assistant said. “Each day I just hope we see fewer deaths than the last,” said a nurse. A paramedic said: "It is like a war zone."

Read the full story here from our correspondents in America.

Scheena Iyande Tannis, works at a New York hospital. She cannot remember how many people she has seen die from coronavirus, but it is the manner of their departures that has stuck in her head.
Scheena Iyande Tannis, works at a New York hospital. She cannot remember how many people she has seen die from coronavirus, but it is the manner of their departures that has stuck in her head.

12:52 PM

2,800 NHS staff tested for Covid-19

Downing Street has said that 2,800 NHS staff have now been tested for the coronavirus at drive-in testing facilities.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said that in addition a “significant number” had been tested at NHS and Public Health England laboratories.

The spokesman added that the health secretary Matt Hancock will be setting out plans for a significant increase in the testing programme.


12:50 PM

Is a blame game starting between PHE and the Government?

This morning Public Health England's medical director, Paul Cosford, said it is the responsibility of the Office for Life Sciences - overseen by ministers - to extend coronavirus tests to private labs.

But the Prime Minister's official spokesman has since insisted that everyone is "clear" on what is needed to "significantly increase the number of tests available".

"We now have eight PHE labs working on coronavirus testing, the NHS has 443 labs working on it," he said.

The spokesman also said that Boris Johnson believes that testing is "so important" to tackling coronavirus and the key to "unlock the coronavirus puzzle and defeat it in the end".

"We acknowledge that more needs to be done in relation to testing, we need to be testing more people and we need to be making progress very quickly...

"The health secretary will set out later the steps we are going to be taking to ensure that there is a significant increase in testing."


12:43 PM

US unemployment claims double to record-shattering 6.6m

More than 6.6 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, in a sign that layoffs are accelerating in the midst of the coronavirus.

Just seven days ago a record high of 3.3 million was set - but the new figures far exceed all predictions.

The job cuts are mounting against the backdrop of economies in the United States and abroad that have almost certainly sunk into a severe recession as businesses close across the world.

Louis Ashworth over on our business live blog will be covering all the reaction to the new figures.


12:40 PM

National Express suspends all bus services

National Express has announced it will temporarily suspend all bus services from midnight on Sunday April 5.

The company had previously been running a reduced network for essential travel only.

Chris Hardy, the company's managing director, said in a statement:

“We kept a limited coach network running to be able to help those individuals with essential travel needs but it is no longer viable to continue to do this.

“Passenger numbers continue to fall as the public rightly follow government advice to avoid non-essential travel. The decision to temporarily suspend all services is the right one based on the current unprecedented circumstances and I hope our passengers understand this.

“It is very clear that the critical thing we must do to protect our NHS and save lives is to stay at home.”


12:32 PM

Hungary's emergency laws 'go too far', says EU chief

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen expressed concern on Thursday over a coronavirus emergency law in Hungary that has given nationalist premier Viktor Orban sweeping powers.

While saying EU countries may need extraordinary measures to tackle the pandemic, she added: "I am concerned that certain measures go too far - and I'm particularly concerned with the situation in Hungary."

Hungary's parliament, dominated by Orban's ruling party, handed the prime minister the power from Tuesday to rule by decree until his government decides the virus crisis is over, Reuters reports.

The emergency law also threatens journalists with prison if they publish what it deems "falsehoods" about the virus or the government's actions to slow it.

The law has sparked alarm among rights groups, media organisations and several EU countries, with fears it was a power grab by Orban, who has ruled Hungary for the past decade.


12:24 PM

Cases jump by eight per cent in the Netherlands

The number of deaths caused by an infection with the new coronavirus in the Netherlands has increased by 166 to 1,339, health authorities said on Thursday.

Infections increased by 8 per cent to 14,697, the Dutch Institute for Public Health added.

Europe is the worst hit continent during the pandemic to date. According to the World Health Organization, 503,730 infections have now been detected in Europe - just over half of all cases worldwide.

At least 33,600 people have died so far.


12:19 PM

Tonight at 8pm: Clap for Our Carers

Tonight will see the nation come together once again as part of the Clap For Our Carers campaign, recognising the efforts of the NHS workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic every day.

Last week saw hundreds of thousands of people join in across the UK, showing their appreciation for health staff at this unprecedented time (watch the video below for a reminder).

Clap For Our Carers is now taking place on a weekly basis. Find out everything you need to know about the campaign here.


12:11 PM

Can we trust the coronavirus numbers?

The chairman of the World Medical Association has said that China's figures on the new coronavirus infections aren't credible, Associated Press reports.

But he added that the numbers aren't credible in many other countries, either.

Dr Frank Ulrich Montgomery said the recent low Chinese numbers were "nonsense" and suggested Beijing was intentionally providing false figures. Other countries are also working with uncertain figures because better data often isn't available, he added.

Dr Montgomery cited the lack of proper testing as a major reason explaining why many developing countries are reporting low infection rates.

He called for the World Health Organization to do more to impress on governments in poorer nations the need to take measures to restrict the spread of the pandemic. If the virus takes hold in megacities such as Cairo, "then it's going to get really dangerous," Dr Montgomery warned.


12:00 PM

NHS: New guidance on PPE set to be published

NHS workers are to be told exactly what kit will give them the highest level of protection from Covid-19 when officials publish new guidance later, the Press Association has reported.

Much anticipated guidance on personal protective equipment (PPE) is due to be published on Thursday, Government officials confirmed.

There has been an outcry over a lack of PPE as global shortages have led to shortfalls on the NHS front line.

Staff have reported being "petrified" over a lack of kit while others have been left in tears as they fear for the safety of themselves and their families. Some say they have even been threatened with reprisals if they speak out about concerns.

Around 20,000 NHS staff have written to the Prime Minister calling for action over PPE shortages.


11:53 AM

Thailand to impose nationwide curfew

Thailand's prime minister has announced that a nationwide curfew will come into place on Friday, in an attempt to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Prayuth Chan-ocha said curfew would prevent people being on the streets between 10pm and 4am.

There are some exemptions, for instance for health workers and those transporting medical supplies, but anyone else breaking curfew will face a maximum penalty of two years in prison.


11:42 AM

Eddie Large dies from coronavirus

Comedian Eddie Large has died after contracting Covid-19, his son has said.

The Little And Large star, 78, was best known for his partnership with Syd Little.

His family said he had coronavirus and his son, Ryan McGinnis, posted on Facebook:

"It is with great sadness that Mum and I need to announce that my dad passed away in the early hours of this morning.

"He had been suffering with heart failure and unfortunately, whilst in hospital, contracted the coronavirus, which his heart was sadly not strong enough to fight."

Read the full story here.

English comedians Syd Little and Eddie Large (right)  - Dave Benett/Getty Images
English comedians Syd Little and Eddie Large (right) - Dave Benett/Getty Images

11:41 AM

France: EU should use all crisis measures to tackle Covid fallout

The European Union should mobilise all of its existing crisis measures in response to the coronavirus outbreak and come up with new joint mechanisms to finance the recovery, France's finance minister said on Thursday.

Bruno Le Maire said the European Stability Mechanism, the bailout fund with 400 billion euros in firepower, should be made available as a source of financing to countries with only minimal conditions attached and without stigma for using it.

He said new financing of up to 200 billion euros should also be made available from the European Investment Bank and gave his support to a European Commission proposal for a unemployment reinsurance scheme for a total amount of 100 billion euros.

"These three instruments could be our common European framework to immediately face the economic crisis," Le Maire said in an online news briefing.

"In addition to the framework, the EU should be reflecting on long-term instruments that would be useful to restart the economy after the crisis."


11:33 AM

400 cases linked to religious meeting in New Delhi

Joe Wallen has the latest from India:

The number of coronavirus cases in India has surged to over 2,000, after a record amount of infections on Wednesday.

Around 400 cases have been linked to a meeting held by an Islamic missionary group, Tabligh-e-Jamaat, in New Delhi in March.

Several thousands devotees from across India and abroad attended the event in the Nizamuddin neighbourhood, breaking a Delhi Government curfew.

The Delhi Police have said they will file charges against the organisers while several politicians belonging to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party have made inflammatory anti-Muslim remarks.

It is little over a month since Hindu-nationalist mobs wrought destruction in Muslim-majority neighbourhoods in New Delhi, killing 53.

Residents here are hoping the Nizamuddin cluster does not incite any further inter-communal violence.'


11:20 AM

Belgian top flight football season ended prematurely by coronavirus

The Jupiler Pro League, Belgium's equivalent to the Premier League, was ended prematurely by the coronavirus crisis today, James Crisp reports.

Club Brugge were named champions of the truncated competition. The board of directors of the league made the decision on Thursday and a working group was set up to decide how European places will be distributed and promotion and relegation will be decided.

The football authorities hope to still hold the cup final if that is allowed.


11:19 AM

WHO expert panel to consider face mask use

A panel of World Health Organization experts will meet to weigh up new research about whether more of us should wear face masks to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

It comes after new research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US found that the virus can be projected further than previously thought. The study suggests that coughs can reach 6 metres, while sneezes can travel up to 8 metres.

Prof David Heymann, chair of the panel and professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene at Tropical Medicine, said:

“As always when new evidence becomes available, WHO will be considering its face mask policies as a routine activity this week and next.

“Recommendations will be taken from many different advisory groups, including the external advisory group that I chair, and then WHO will decide if there is enough evidence to merit any changes in policy.

“This decision will likely also include other considerations such as availability of face masks globally for use in the two ways it currently recommends face mask use based on existing evidence: for health workers in combination with other personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect health workers; and for persons who fit the definition of COVID-19 to protect others from droplets in their cough or sneeze.”

Paul Nuki has more on this subject: Have we been asking the wrong question all along?


11:02 AM

Nadine Dorries claims testing is "not a cure" for the outbreak

A health minister has claimed that testing is "not a cure" for the coronavirus outbreak, just hours after Boris Johnson said it was "how we will defeat it in the end."

Amid a mounting backlash over the Government's failure to scale up testing faster, Nadine Dorries said "no amount of tests" could alter the fact there was currently "no treatment, no cure, no vaccine."

With the UK trailing well behind Germany, ministers are now facing calls to relax the rules in order to enlist universities and research institutes with testing facilities in order to rapidly increase testing capacity.

However, in a series of Twitter posts attacking journalists for raising the issue, Ms Dorries said: "Testing is not a cure, it won’t cut the number of deaths, it won’t make people feel better or stop them catching coronavirus."

Harry Yorke has more on the controversy over on our politics liveblog.


10:59 AM

Indonesia: Outbreak becomes the deadliest in Asia, outside China

Indonesia's coronavirus death toll has risen to 170, surpassing South Korea as the country with the highest number of recorded fatalities in Asia outside China.

Indonesia reported a further 13 deaths and 113 new cases, taking its total number of infections to 1,790. South Korea has reported 169 deaths and 9,976 infections, according to the latest figures released there.

The data comes amid alarm expressed by some medical experts and officials that President Joko Widodo's government has been slow to bring in measures similar to those in other countries to curb the spread of the virus.

Indonesia only reported its first case of the virus one month ago, but epidemiologists say a relatively low level of testing means the number of cases appears to have been vastly under reported.

According to modelling from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the true number of infections in Indonesia is between 22,000 and 37,000. Another team from the University of Oxford say this figure is far higher, estimating close to 80,000 cases.


10:51 AM

'Heartbreaking': Six-week old baby died in US

A six-week old baby has died in Connecticut, US after contracting a coronavirus infection, the state governor has confirmed.

Governor Ned Lamont said on Twitter late last night that the baby's death is "one of the youngest lives lost anywhere due to complications relating to Covid-19."

He added that the newborn was taken to a hospital at the end of last week, but could not be revived. Tests came back last night confirming that the baby had tested positive for the coronavirus.

"This is absolutely heartbreaking," Mr Lamont said. "This is a virus that attacks our most fragile without mercy."

The death comes as fatalities in the US surpass 5,000 after a record of 884 deaths in just 24 hours. The country is the worst affected worldwide, with more than 216,000 infections reported.

Read more: Sarah Knapton asks, should parents be worried about their children?


10:40 AM

Watch: 'A bad test is worse than no test', PHE Medical Director defends Government testing progress

The current testing capacity in the UK is 13,000-a-day, Public Health England's medical director has said, insisting that Britain will have the ability to test 25,000-a-day by mid-April.

But Professor Paul Cosford admitted that "everybody involved is frustrated" about not reaching the required testing output. However he added:

"The reason for ramping it up in a gradual way is to make sure it's done properly, because it is the case that a bad test is worse than no test at all."


10:31 AM

UK: 56% of people think lockdown was imposed too late

New polling has found that the majority of the British public think that a lockdown was imposed too late in the UK.

The Ipsos MORI poll, carried out online among 18-75 year olds between 27-30 March, has shown that 56 per cent of people believe that the Government enforcement of social distancing measures were taken too late, whilst only 4 per cent of people felt that they were taken too soon.

The Government enforcement has been effective though, with 79 per cent of people now saying they are avoiding leaving their homes. This is up from only 50 per cent before the Government’s lockdown last week.


10:22 AM

73 staff members test positive at Great Ormond Street Hospital

At least 73 staff at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London have tested positive for the coronavirus, while 318 staff members are off sick because they, or someone else in their household, are displaying symptoms.

In total 181 staff members have been tested at the hospital, where eight Covid-19 patients are being treated, according to an internal hospital memo shared on Twitter by Anthony Costello.

Prof Costello is a professor of global health and sustainable development at University College London and a former director of maternal and child health at the World Health Organization.

In a Twitter thread, Prof Costello said that he had been told by a staff member that "social distancing in the hospital is a fiction".

"Nurses, doctors, admin, cleaners are expressly discouraged from wearing masks around the hospital," the source added. "Is our cultural reluctance to wear masks an error? Staff will be happy to bring their own masks from the chemist if given permission."

There is an ongoing debate about whether the attitude to face masks in the west is flawed.

You can read more on the subject here: Face masks: have we been asking the wrong question all along?


10:09 AM

Zooming ahead

Zoom's daily users ballooned to more than 200 million in March from a previous maximum total of 10 million, the video conferencing app's boss Eric Yuan has said, as it fought to dispel concerns over privacy and "Zoombombing".

The use of Zoom and other digital communications have soared with political parties, corporate offices, school districts, organizations and millions across the world working from home after lockdowns were enforced to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Reuters reports.

"To put this growth in context, as of the end of December last year, the maximum number of daily meeting participants, both free and paid, conducted on Zoom was approximately 10 million," founder and Chief Executive Officer Eric Yuan wrote in a letter to Zoom users.

However, the huge influx of users on its platform has raised a lot of issues for the company - mainly privacy.

"We recognize that we have fallen short of the community's – and our own – privacy and security expectations," Yuan said. "For that, I am deeply sorry."

Hasan Chowdhury has more here on "Zoombombing", where calls are hijacked by strangers.


10:02 AM

Spain: Death toll surpasses 10,000

The coronavirus death toll in Spain has surpassed 10,000 after a record 950 deaths in 24 hours, with the number of confirmed cases passing the 110,000 mark, the government said.

Spain has the world's second-highest death toll after Italy, with the virus so far claiming 10,003 lives.

But officials at today's briefing noted that the number of people in intensive care has been increasing only very slowly over the past three days, only at a rate of around three per cent.

New recorded cases also up around seven per cent, which maintains the trend of a slowdown, James Badcock reports. Other updates from Spain to be aware of:

  • Spain’s government will use a study in which the movement of 40 million mobiles are tracked to assess how and where people are moving as it considers what measures to take in the ongoing battle against Covid-19.

  • Unemployment figures out today show a historically bad month: 300,000 more people out of work by the end of March, on top of the more than a million who have been placed on temporary redundancy schemes, favoured by the government. This is despite the government placing a ban on redundancies a week ago.


09:47 AM

Coronavirus Q&A with Paul Nuki

When will the peak hit and how many will die? Our Global Health Security Editor, Paul Nuki, will be on hand at 1pm to answer all your questions, after Britain experienced its most deadly day yet on Wednesday.

Find out how to submit a question here.


09:37 AM

Israel: Netanyahu in self-isolation

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is returning to self-isolation for another six days after his health minister was diagnosed with coronavirus, the premier's office said on Thursday.

Netanyahu, 70, the nation's longest-serving leader, had just ended a two-day period of isolation on Wednesday night after a parliamentary aide was diagnosed with the disease.

He immediately went on national TV to announce new measures to curb the epidemic.

But his office said the prime minister would self-isolate again - for six days this time - in line with medical recommendations after Health Minister Yaakov Litzman and his wife tested positive for coronavirus.

Litzman, 71, has appeared regularly alongside the premier to give coronavirus updates. Netanyahu tested negative on Monday.


09:28 AM

On the bright side...

Every day, Harriet Barber collects a round up of the day's more positive headlines:

  • Five radio stations joined forces on Thursday morning for a “Great British singalong” to raise the nation’s spirits. Each station – BBC Radio 1, Radio 2, 6 Music, 1Xtra and the Asian Network – selected a song to play during a multi-way simulcast.

  • Nick Squires reports that the lockdown has had a silver lining for local shops and suppliers in Italy. Sales of goods in small shops and local grocers rose 41 per cent between March 16-22 as citizens have been unable to travel to supermarkets.

  • New Zealanders are embracing an international movement (which started in Europe) in which people are placing teddy bears in their windows during lockdowns to brighten the mood - and give children a game to play by spotting the bears in their neighborhoods.

  • Australia's childcare sector will get about £785 million over the next three months from taxpayer subsidies in a package that would make childcare in the country free.

After more silver linings? Check out yesterday's roundup here.

A teddy bear hangs upside down in a window of a house in Christchurch - AP Photo/Mark Baker
A teddy bear hangs upside down in a window of a house in Christchurch - AP Photo/Mark Baker
a teddy bear sits on a the wheel of a car outside a house in Christchurch - AP Photo/Mark Baker
a teddy bear sits on a the wheel of a car outside a house in Christchurch - AP Photo/Mark Baker

09:20 AM

Belgium passes grim milestone of 1,000 deaths

More than 1,000 people in Belgium have died from the coronavirus, it was announced today. James Crisp has the details:

  • 183 people died in the last 24 hours, the authorities said in their daily press conference on coronavirus, taking the death toll to 1011.

  • 93 percent of those who died were above 65-years-old, while 40 percent were more than 80 years-old.

  • On Tuesday, there were 1,384 new confirmed infections, which brings the number to 15,348.


09:13 AM

Boris: 'Please do not leave your house'

Boris Johnson has said on Twitter this morning that there has been a rise in transport use in the last few days.

"Please do not leave your house unless absolutely necessary. It really will save lives," he said.


09:10 AM

New numbers from Malaysia and the Philippines

New figures are rolling in from across the globe:

  • Malaysia has reported 208 new coronavirus cases and five deaths, taking the total to 3,116 including 50 fatalities.

  • The Philippines' health ministry has recorded 11 new deaths and 322 additional cases - taking the death toll to 107 amid 2,633 cases.

A police officer guards a checkpoint at the border between Rizal province and Marikina City, Metro Manila, Philippines 02 April 2020. In a late night broadcast on 01 April, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte warned against intimidating and challenging the government, and ordered police and military to 'shoot dead' troublemakers who will endanger the lives of security forces - ROLEX DELA PENA/EPA-EFE

08:57 AM

ONS: More than a quarter of UK firms cut staff

More than a quarter of British companies are reducing staff levels in the short term as the coronavirus crisis hits the country's economy, a survey published on Thursday has showed.

"Over a quarter (27 per cent) of responding businesses said they were reducing staff levels in the short term, while 5 per cent reported recruiting staff in the short term," the Office for National Statistics said.

Meanwhile in Spain, the rise in unemployment in March is the highest monthly increase ever recorded, according to the Labour Minister.

The number of jobless jumped 9.3 per cent from the previous month bringing the total number of unemployed people to around 3.5 million. That total number is still below record highs of 2013.


08:51 AM

Why Covid-19 testing capacity in ‘just-in-time’ Britain has arrived just too late

The government is fond of claiming that the UK is “one of the best prepared countries in the word” when it comes to pandemics. It’s the stock answer they give journalists who go to them with anything faintly critical, writes Paul Nuki.

How then to explain the debacle over testing? Are we secretly the best in the world at this too, despite just about every other advanced economy wiping the floor with us? Germany is now testing 70,000 citizens every day, while we are hovering around the 10,000 mark.

This is not an academic point. Without large-scale testing for the coronavirus it will prove much more difficult, perhaps impossible, to effectively trace and contain the virus.

Read the full analysis here.


08:43 AM

'Ticking health bomb': Greece quarantines migrant camp

Greece has quarantined a migrant camp after 20 asylum seekers tested positive for coronavirus, the migration ministry said on Thursday, its first such facility to be hit since the outbreak of the disease.

Tests on 63 people were conducted after a 19-year-old female migrant who gave birth in hospital in Athens was found infected, becoming the first recorded case among thousands of asylum seekers living in overcrowded camps across Greece, Reuters reports.

None of the confirmed cases showed any symptoms, the ministry said, adding that it was continuing its tests. (More on that here from our correspondent Nick Squires)

Greece, which recorded its first coronavirus case at the end of February, has reported 1,415 cases so far, and 50 deaths. It is the gateway to Europe for people fleeing conflicts and poverty in the Middle East and beyond, with more than a million passing through Greece during the migrant crisis of 2015-2016.

Any movement in and out of the Ritsona camp, which is 45 miles northeast of Athens and hosts hundreds of people, will be restricted for 14 days, the ministry said. Police would monitor the implementation of the measures.

But there are more than 40,000 asylum-seekers stuck in overcrowded refugee camps on Greece's outlying islands, in conditions that aid organisations say are appalling and which the government itself has described as a "ticking health bomb".


08:36 AM

Japan: Prime Minister under fire for offering masks, not lockdown

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been widely criticised on social media for offering people free cloth masks instead of imposing a lockdown, Reuters reports.

Abe's offer of masks - two per household - came the day after experts had warned that Japan was on the brink of a medical crisis as cases rose around the nation, especially in Tokyo. The prime minister said on Wednesday Japan was "barely holding the line" in its battle against the virus and there is growing frustration over his handling of the crisis.

The prime minister launched his offer to send cloth masks out while wearing one at a meeting of a government task force late on Wednesday. The masks will be sent to each of Japan's more than 50 million households starting the week after next, first to areas seeing a spike in cases.

"You can use soap to wash and re-use them, so this should be a good response to the sudden, huge demand for masks," he said.

Twitter users were scathing, with Abe and mask references trending on Thursday. "Is the Japanese government for real? This is a total waste of tax money," wrote a user with the handle Usube.

It's not the first time Abe has faced criticism for his coronavirus strategies. Some have said his initial response to the virus outbreak was sluggish, with charges from critics that he played down the threat in the hope that Tokyo could go ahead and host the now-postponed Summer Olympics this year. Abe denied the claims.


08:28 AM

Pound continues climb against the euro

After sinking for much of last month, the pound has turned its fortunes around somewhat in recent days – currently up against the euro for the eight session in a row, in its best streak of gains since 2016, Louis Ashworth reports.

But the climb comes despite a mixed economic backdrop:

  • Almost one million people have claimed “universal credit” welfare payments in the UK in the past two weeks, exposing the massive economic hit from Boris Johnson’s coronavirus lockdown

  • Britain is on course to issue more debt than at any time since the financial crisis, with much of it likely to end up with the Bank of England

  • UK house prices were climbing at the fastest pace in more than two years before the coronavirus pandemic almost brought the market to a standstill, according to Nationwide Building Society

Keep up to date with all the latest markets news over in our business liveblog.


08:22 AM

Watch: Can developing countries like India self-isolate?

As coronavirus spreads to the developing world, some countries will struggle to enforce self-isolation, Joe Wallen and Duarte Dias report.

In India, a larger percentage of the urban population inhabits slums, where the population density and lack of running water simply does not allow for an extended self-isolation.

What's more, a majority of the population are informal workers, meaning that staying out of work will spell economic disaster.

So how will self-isolation work?


08:17 AM

Philippines President vows to 'shoot dead' lockdown violators

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has told security forces they should shoot dead anyone causing "trouble" in areas locked down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

About half the country's roughly 110 million people are currently under quarantine - including millions in deep poverty, left jobless by tough restrictions on movement.

Hours before Duterte gave the order in a speech late Wednesday, nearly two dozen people from a slum community in the capital Manila were arrested for holding a protest that accused the government of failing to provide food aid to the poor.

"My orders are to the police and military, also village officials, that if there is trouble or the situation arises that people fight and your lives are on the line, shoot them dead," Duterte said.

"Instead of causing trouble, I'll send you to the grave," he said, adding that the outbreak is getting worse more than two weeks into the lockdown.

Read the full story here.


08:10 AM

Global tally nearing 1 million

A quick break from the headlines to take a look at the figures worldwide, after the World Health Organization warned yesterday that we will reach one million cases globally "in the next few days".

There are now 937,783 infections confirmed in over 200 countries, including 47,261 fatalities. According to data collated by John Hopkins University, close to 200,000 people have recovered:

  • The epidemic in the US is the largest outbreak by far. 216,721 infections have been detected, including 5,137 deaths. Some 1,300 of these fatalities have been in New York alone.

  • In Italy there have been 110,574 confirmed cases - although there has been a slowdown in new infections in the last few days. 13,155 have died, the largest death toll worldwide.

  • Cases in Spain topped 100,000 on Wednesday, while France became the fourth country to surpass the grim milestone of 4,000 deaths.

  • The UK saw it's deadliest day yesterday. Confirmed cases now stand at 29,865, while the death toll has hit 2,357.

  • India's largest slum has reported its first coronavirus death this morning, raising concerns cases could be far higher than the current total - India has reported 2,032 infections and 58 deaths.

  • Botswana, Burundi, and Sierra Leone all reported their first cases in the last 24 hours. Some 6,000 cases have been confirmed in Africa to date.

You can see a full breakdown in our interactive map:

Coronavirus live map ..
Coronavirus live map ..

07:55 AM

BA in talks to suspend 32,000 staff

British Airways is in talks with its union about a plan to suspend around 32,000 staff so it can survive the coronavirus pandemic, a person familiar with the situation said, according to Reuters.

The British flag carrier has massively reduced flights and warned it will need to slash costs if it is to survive an emergency that has battered the global aviation industry.

"The deal is not done yet," the source said, adding that the talks were focusing on around 80 per cent of the workforce excluding pilots.

Owned by IAG, BA has already suspended flights from Britain's second busiest airport, Gatwick, and London's City Airport. Its parent company has said flying capacity would be down 75 per cent in April and May.

It has been in talks with the Unite union for a week to agree a plan that will enable it to suspend staff including cabin crew, ground staff, engineers and those in head office without having to make them redundant.


07:32 AM

'We need national testing strategy,' says shadow health secretary

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth tweeted: "We need clear national testing strategy to beat the virus. Make full use of labs in HE (higher education), research institutions and industry and cut through any bureaucracy holding this back.

"Community testing and tracing is way out of lockdown cycles until vaccine found."


07:13 AM

NHS will remain 'within capacity' if social distancing works

Prof Cosford said the NHS looks set to remain "within capacity" if social distancing works.

He told Good Morning Britain: "If we get to a position where demand outstrips supply, and all the figures that I have seen so far look as if we won't get to that position, certainly it looks as if we should be able to stay within capacity if the social distancing works and that's why the social distancing is so important."

Asked about new guidance for doctors should hospitals become overwhelmed with patients, he said that situation could lead to "difficult decisions" for medics.

He said: "Of course we've always said there will be huge challenges in dealing with this pandemic and if we get to a position where the requirement outweighs the supply then there will be some difficult decisions that people have to make. But all our efforts are to making sure that doesn't happen."


07:13 AM

'I know 2,000 NHS staff tested doesn't sound a lot,' says PHE medical director

Prof Cosford admitted testing numbers in England appear low but insisted they will "increase rapidly".

He said: "I know 2,000 doesn't sound a lot compared with the many hundreds of thousands of NHS staff that we've got but that is now ramping up quickly."

Asked why the process is taking so long, he said: "This is an incredibly complex operation to put in place in a very short period of time."

He added that there is "24/7 work" going on to overcome "a whole range of issues" when it comes to ensuring testing is rolled out properly.


07:11 AM

Testing 'critically important' but social distancing important too

Prof Cosford said testing is "critically important" but that social distancing is too.

He told Good Morning Britain: "Social distancing is absolutely the way that we will reduce the spread of this infection and ultimately will get on top of it."

He said social distancing measures will need to stay in place until spread of the disease becomes "minimal".


07:11 AM

UK testing capacity is 13,000-a-day, and will be 25,000-a-day by mid-April

Professor Paul Cosford, emeritus medical director of PHE, told Sky News: "One thing that's important to point out from the outset is that anyone with a clinical need for testing has always been testing since the beginning of this outbreak.

"People who are unwell and who need the test in order to help their diagnosis and treatment - that testing has been in place and has ramped up considerably.

"We're now up to 13,000 tests and we'll be up to 25,000 through that route in the middle of April.

"There is some spare capacity there to test NHS staff."


06:56 AM

Trump resists call for national lockdown

After the US suffered the worst single day in terms of coronavirus deaths, the President resisted calls for a nationwide lockdown.


06:53 AM

'We're asking the Government to be transparent and clear'

hadow attorney general Baroness Chakrabarti said Labour wants the Government to show clarity in its testing strategy and how it will protect Britons on health and economic matters.

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Never has an opposition wanted a government to succeed as much as we want to help the Government defeat the coronavirus, and everything I say is in that spirit."

Lady Chakrabarti added: "We're asking the Government to be transparent and to be clear... about what its plans are to deliver the kind of scale of testing that we need, both to get the NHS workforce tested but also to return as quickly as possible to community-based testing.

"Without widespread testing in the population, we don't understand - having listened to experts - the way out of the lockdown."


06:51 AM

Lab ready to help Government hit testing target

Sir Paul Nurse, chief executive of the Francis Crick Institute, said its research laboratory had been repurposed so it could carry out Covid-19 tests at a rate of 500 a day by next week - rising to 2,000 a day in future.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We hope that we can roll this out to other research institutes so that everybody can contribute."

Sir Paul added: "A metaphor here is Dunkirk - we are a lot of little boats and the little boats can be effective.

"The Government has put some big boats, destroyers in place. That's a bit more cumbersome to get working and we wish them all the luck to do that, but we little boats can contribute as well."

Sir Paul said their tests can be turned around in fewer than 24 hours, which could help get NHS staff back on the front line.


06:43 AM

UK to evacuate British cruise passengers, says Trump

US President Donald Trump said arrangements had been made with the UK Government to evacuate British passengers on two cruise ships set to soon dock in Florida after being hit by the coronavirus.

Four people have died aboard the cruise ship Zaandam, including 75-year-old British man John Carter, whose widow has been isolated on board since his death.

The couple were among 200 Britons on the ship, which has recorded nine confirmed cases of Covid-19 and has some 200 people on board who have reported flu-like symptoms.

The Zaandam offloaded its healthy passengers onto its sister-ship, the Rotterdam, earlier this week, with both vessels having been denied entry to ports in several countries.

The cruise liners are seeking to dock in Florida but have become embroiled in a dispute, with local authorities reluctant to take more patients into a state healthcare system already stretched by the coronavirus outbreak.

However, Mr Trump said on Wednesday there was no choice but to allow the ships to dock and for those aboard to disembark.

The Associated Press reported Mr Trump had confirmed arrangements had been made with the UK to repatriate British passengers.


06:34 AM

Man jailed for stealing PPE from ambulance

A man has been jailed for stealing personal protective equipment (PPE) from an ambulance.

Mark Manley, 35, of no fixed address, was jailed for six months at Croydon Magistrates' Court for stealing equipment from a stationary ambulance and assaulting a security guard, the Metropolitan Police said.

The force said he pleaded guilty to the offences.

Officers said they were called at 9.19pm on Saturday to reports of a male having stolen from an ambulance at St Thomas Street, south-east London.

When challenged by security staff, police said the suspect assaulted one security worker and racially abused another.

He had taken a bag containing PPE from the vehicle, police said.

Items taken included masks, paper suits and hand gel, with some of the items rendered no longer usable due to contamination.


06:33 AM

Today's front page

Here's your Daily Telegraph on Tuesday, April 2.

DT
DT

06:29 AM

Poll: Are you following the lockdown rules?

There is talk of people ditching the social distancing and self-isolation guidance after just more than a week.


06:21 AM

Third British prisoner dies after contracting Covid-19

A third British prisoner has died after contracting coronavirus.

The 77-year-old man, who was serving at HMP Littlehey in Cambridgeshire, died in hospital on Friday. He had a number of underlying health conditions.

The inmate was the second from HMP Littlehey to die with coronavirus.

Convicted paedophile Edwin Hillier, 84, who was also at HMP Littlehey, died in hospital on March 22 after contracting coronavirus.

Hillier, who was the first serving British prisoner to die with coronavirus, reportedly had underlying health issues.

A 66-year-old male inmate at HMP Manchester died in hospital on March 26 after contracting coronavirus.

He had been receiving end-of-life care for an underlying health condition before he tested positive for Covid-19.

As of 5pm on Monday, 65 inmates had tested positive for coronavirus in 23 prisons, the Ministry of Justice said.


06:21 AM

The symptoms to look for in young people

Ismail's death also prompts the question why are young, healthy people dying of coronavirus? With hospitals filling up, the patients who are critically ill aren't just older people and those with underlying health conditions. Cara McGoogan and Eleanor Steafel have written this excellent piece on the symptoms to look out for. You can read it here.


06:13 AM

A heartbreaking death for Britain's youngest victim

Why did Britain's youngest coronavirus victim die alone? That's the question posed by our Chief Reporter Robert Mendick, who tells the story of 13-year-old Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab.

Ismail, who had no known underlying health condition, suffered a cardiac arrest after contracting coronavirus. He started showing symptoms and had trouble breathing last Thursday, March 26, before being taken to King's College Hospital in south London, where he died on Monday, March 30. Ismail had been put on a ventilator and induced into a coma but never recovered.

The schoolboy died alone - prompting the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health to question why his mother was not at his bedside. A spokesman for the Royal College said: "We don't think this should be happening."

You can read Robert's full report here.


06:01 AM

Lockdown rebellion begins as transport use rises ahead of warm weekend

Britain's coronavirus lockdown began to fray on Wednesday night as official figures showed an "uptick" in the number of people using transport, reports Hayley Dixon.

The number of those using their cars and public transport, which had been consistently dropping since strict social distancing measures were introduced, rose for the first time at the beginning of this week.

It is feared that the sunny forecast for the weekend, which could see temperatures of 20C in London, will prompt more people to go break the rules and go outside and socialise as the Easter holidays begin.

Mervyn King, the former Governor of the Bank of England, warned that there could be a "rebellion" if the measures are enforced for too long.

Read the full piece here.


05:53 AM

Care homes could be priced out of PPE

Care homes could be priced out of sourcing personal protective equipment (PPE) by "unethical" suppliers seeking to cash in on the coronavirus crisus, one English provider has said.

The Surrey-based CHD Living group says smaller social care companies could struggle to attain approved protective equipment as prices had reached "laughable" levels.

Shaleeza Hasham, Head of Communications and Commissioning at CHD Living, said while Prime Minister Boris Johnson had promised sufficient PPE would arrive with care workers by the end of last week, CHD is still having to buy its own to supplement that provided.

"What is very sad is there are some very unscrupulous suppliers who have really increased the pricing far beyond the means of any provider and some quotations we've had have been quite laughable to be honest," Ms Hasham told the PA News Agency.

"There are people who are very, very sadly trying to make a quick buck out of this, and I think that that's just completely unethical."


04:53 AM

Tokyo schools closed amid fears of health system collapse

Tokyo has ordered senior high schools throughout the city to remain closed until May after a government panel warned that the health care system will collapse unless “drastic” measures are taken to halt the spread of the coronavirus.

Schools across Japan are presently closed for the spring break but most are due to reopen in the coming week. Authorities overseeing schools in Tokyo for younger students are expected to issue similar orders, while other cities that are also seeing a rise in infections are likely to follow suit.

Tokyo’s decision comes a day after experts commissioned by the government to lead the domestic fight against the disease pointed to a growing number of infections in urban areas and again called on the public to limit the amount of time they spend in close proximity to other people.

Read the full story.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wears a protective face mask as he attends an upper house parliamentary session - Reuters
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wears a protective face mask as he attends an upper house parliamentary session - Reuters

04:22 AM

Germany releases latest figures

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany has risen to 73,522 while 872 people have died of the disease, statistics from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Thursday.

Cases rose by 6,156 compared with the previous day while the death toll climbed by 140, the tally showed.

There are two striking facts about the coronavirus in Germany. One is that the death rate is far lower than anywhere else, with only 858 deaths despite 76,500 confirmed infections — a rate of just over 1 per cent.

The other is that Germany has conducted far more tests than anywhere else, at least in Europe.

In Britain, ministers and public health officials are facing growing pressure to explain why Britain, one of the world's leading scientific nations, is struggling to match its European neighbour.

Read the full report.


03:54 AM

Duterte: Violators of lockdown 'will be shot'

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has warned violators of coronavirus lockdown measures they could be shot for causing trouble and said abuse of medical workers was a serious crime that would not be tolerated.

In a televised address, Duterte said it was vital everyone cooperates and follows home quarantine measures, as authorities try to slow the contagion and spare the country's fragile health system from being overwhelmed.

The Philippines has recorded 96 coronavirus deaths and 2,311 confirmed cases, all but three in the past three weeks, with infections now being reported in the hundreds every day.

"It is getting worse. So once again I'm telling you the seriousness of the problem and that you must listen," Duterte said late on Wednesday.

"My orders to the police and military ... if there is trouble and there's an occasion that they fight back and your lives are in danger, shoot them dead."

"Is that understood? Dead. Instead of causing trouble, I will bury you."

His comments came after media reports of a disturbance and several arrests on Wednesday of residents in a poor area of Manila who were protesting about sufficient government food aid.

Homeless people, who are unable to feed themselves and unable to work because of government lockdown measures, occupy tents as they observe social distancing in a gymnasium in Manila - Getty
Homeless people, who are unable to feed themselves and unable to work because of government lockdown measures, occupy tents as they observe social distancing in a gymnasium in Manila - Getty

03:05 AM

Australian government makes childcare free

Australia's Prime Minister has said that the country's childcare sector will get A$1.6 billion (about £785 million) over the next three months from taxpayer subsidies in a package that would make childcare in the country free.

"We will be putting in place support arrangements to the childcare facilities, some 13,000 of them, to ensure they will be able to remain open and will be there for parents to ensure they can do what they need to do each day," Scott Morrison said.


02:44 AM

US Navy evacuates virus-struck ship in Guam

The US Navy is evacuating thousands of sailors from the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in Guam after its captain warned a coronavirus outbreak was threatening the lives of the crew.

Ninety-three Covid-19 cases have been discovered among the 4,800-strong crew so far, according to the US Navy.

Pentagon officials have said they were rapidly arranging hotel rooms on the Pacific island for many of the crew, while organising a skeleton team of uninfected sailors to keep the ship operational.

Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said that almost 1,000 of the crew had already been removed.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt is anchored off Guam - Bullit Marquez/AP
The USS Theodore Roosevelt is anchored off Guam - Bullit Marquez/AP

02:23 AM

First indigenous case in Amazon

A woman from the Kokama ethnic group in the Amazon rainforest is the first indigenous person in Brazil to test positive for the new coronavirus

Thepandemic has fueled fears about the possible impact for indigenous peoples in the Amazon, who are particularly vulnerable to imported diseases.

The 20-year-old woman works for the public health system in the municipality of Santo Antonio do Ica, near the Colombian-Brazilian border. She works with a doctor who tested positive for the virus last week after returning from vacation, authorities said. She has no symptoms so far. She and her family have all gone into isolation and are under observation, according to Brazilian health ministry's Special Secretariat for Indigenous Health.

"Indigenous health is a major concern" during the coronavirus pandemic, said Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta. "We have to be triply careful in these communities, especially the most isolated ones."

Indigenous tribes in the Americas have been historically isolated from many diseases against which much of the world has developed immunity. It is estimated that diseases brought by European colonizers wiped out more than 95 percent of the indigenous population of the Americas.


02:14 AM

Care homes could be hit by 'unethical' suppliers

Care homes could be priced out of sourcing personal protective equipment (PPE) by "unethical" suppliers seeking to cash in on the coronavirus crisus, a provider in Surrey has said.

The CHD Living group says smaller social care companies could struggle to attain approved protective equipment as prices had reached "laughable" levels.

Shaleeza Hasham, Head of Communications and Commissioning at the group, said that while Boris Johnson had promised sufficient PPE would arrive with care workers by the end of last week, CHD is still having to buy its own to supplement that provided.

"What is very sad is there are some very unscrupulous suppliers who have really increased the pricing far beyond the means of any provider and some quotations we've had have been quite laughable to be honest," Ms Hasham told the Press Association.

"There are people who are very, very sadly trying to make a quick buck out of this, and I think that that's just completely unethical."


02:10 AM

The Open 'to be cancelled'

The Open, one of the most iconic events in the British sporting calendar, is set to be the latest tournament to be cancelled because of coronavirus.

Golf Digest reports that the R&A is expected to cancel the 2020 Open Championship and the decision could be announced today.

It comes after Wimbledon was cancelled on Wednesday, while the cricket County Championship will also not go ahead this summer.

The Open was set to start on July 16 at Royal St George's Golf Club in Kent and this will be the first time the Open has not been played since 1945.

Shane Lowry won last year's Open title at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland - DAVID DAVIES/PA
Shane Lowry won last year's Open title at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland - DAVID DAVIES/PA

12:50 AM

Don't count on the Left coming out of this well

The economy’s collapse will prompt profound and unpredictable changes to people’s political priorities, Allister Heath says.

Many private sector businesses will have their reputations enhanced by their crisis, including supermarkets and even tech firms. Almost everybody blamed profit-making firms for the financial crisis; nobody is blaming them for the virus. But as our shell-shocked society goes back to basics, I wouldn’t bet on a Left-wing renaissance.

Read more: The coronavirus recession will shift British politics – but not to the Left


12:08 AM

British Airways 'to suspend tens of thousands of employees'

British Airways will suspend 36,000 workers as the coronavirus pandemic grounds most of its flights, it is expected to announce, Margi Murphy writes.

The airline has been negotiating with the Unite union for more than a week amid travel restrictions, the BBC reported.

An agreement, which has yet to be fully signed off, will see up to 80pc of engineers, head office, cabin crew and ground staff furloughed. No employees are expected to be made redundant.

British Airways stopped all flights out of Gatwick Airport on Wednesday, becoming the latest carrier to stop serving the UK's second-busiest airport due to collapsing demand.

Read more: BA to suspend workers


11:32 PM

Family of Briton who died on Zaandam ask Trump for help

The family of a British man who died on board a coronavirus-stricken cruise ship have pleaded with US president Donald Trump and Florida authorities to allow the ship to dock.

John Carter, 75, was one of four people to die on the Zaandam cruise ship, which is currently embroiled in a bitter dispute over plans to disembark passengers in the US.

His widow has been isolated and on her own since his death.

Mr Carter's family say they have only had minimal contact with her as her mobile phone is no longer working.

"She is struggling to eat the limited meals and is feeling unwell.

"She is obviously distressed and extremely frightened," they said in a statement.

The family added that it was "imperative" that the docking is authorised so that the passengers and crew can receive "the urgent assistance that they so desperately need".


11:31 PM

Nearly one million register for benefits

Nearly one million people registered for benefits in the fortnight after Boris Johnson started to order the UK to shut down to fight coronavirus, official figures showed on Wednesday night.

Many of the new applicants will have been made unemployed by companies which suddenly had to face the collapse of their businesses overnight.

It raises the prospect of unemployment being more than the three million jobless total, last seen in the 1980s under Margaret Thatcher's Government, by Easter.

Read more: Britons pay price for coronavirus crisis


11:04 PM

What happened yesterday

Here are Wednesday's big developments: