Advertisement

Coronavirus positive: good news round-up - Lady Gaga curates impressive from-home festival

Lady Gaga gestures  - REUTERS
Lady Gaga gestures - REUTERS

Throughout these trying times, the world must remain entertained. We’ve been offered former glories, adapted mainstays and a nice new film about a toy you might have owned in the 60s.

Until now there has been no event designed from scratch to help distract us from the evil unseen enemy lying in wait on all uncleaned surfaces. Not for the first time, Lady Gaga is here to save the day.

The hero of early-10s pop music has announced a concert bringing together an impressive line-up of musicians. It’s called One World: Together At Home, and it’s shaping up to be a Live Aid for the Covid generation, with significantly fewer Boomtown Rats.

Confirmed to take part, listed in order from most to least likely you’ve heard of, are: Paul McCartney, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Andrea Bocelli, Chris Martin from Coldplay, Lady Gaga, Alanis Morissette, John Legend, Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day, Lang Lang, Billie Eilish, Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam, Keith Urban, Kacey Musgraves, Lizzo, Burna Boy, and J Balvin

Where did that list lose you? I was with it right up until J Balvin, but then I’m a Pretty Cool Guy.

It’s going to be hosted by some of America’s best and whitest talk show hosts, Stephen Colbert, plus Jimmys Kimmel and Fallon, and it’s taking place next Saturday night, 18 April at 8pm eastern time.

That's 1am if you're in the UK but don’t worry if you don’t fancy staying up until silly o’clock to watch Keith Urban, the BBC will show an adapted version the day after with some British stars added. This could go in a number of directions. Maybe we’ll get Adele, but perhaps we’ll have to settle for Mr Blobby. What’s almost certain is that Emeli Sandé will have some part to play.

There’s another intriguing name on the line-up released on Monday: David Beckham.

Perhaps he’ll be giving a rare solo performance of Manchester United’s deservedly forgotten 1996 FA Cup final song, Move Move Move?

Elsewhere there were no new deaths reported in China on Monday, the first time since January the country hasn’t reported a coronavirus fatality. Olé!

A vaccine could be ready by autumn olé!

And JK Rowling says she avoided hospital by following advice she’d seen on YouTube (please note: YouTube is not the same as medical assistance, please proceed with caution). Still… Olé!

Here’s Harriet with the rest of today’s good news:

  • Doctors and healthcare workers around the world have been attaching photos of themselves smiling to their protective clothing, saying their masks have been making it difficult to connect with patients. One said: “A reassuring smile makes a big difference to a scared patient.”

  • New research has found that a single dose of antibodies drawn from the blood of coronavirus survivors appears to have improved the symptoms of 10 patients severely ill with the disease.

  • Spain, the country with the highest number of confirmed cases, has seen another decline in the daily death toll – hitting the lowest in two weeks – and a decrease in the infection rate.

  • Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, has deemed the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy “essential workers”, hoping to spark some excitement in the country’s children.

  • Chabad Lubavitch UK has joined forces with Deliveroo to bring Passover to people’s doorsteps across the UK and Ireland. Each Seder-to-Go box will contain: A roll up seder plate; six small containers containing all the items for the seder plate; Shemura Matzot; a bottle of grape juice for the four cups; a Kiddush cup; a unique and user friendly Haggadah with English translation and instructions; A “How To Run A Seder” guide and a toy frog.

  • An Italian man has run a marathon in the confines of his flat. Fabio Faggiani managed to run the full 42k in his apartment by going round his dining room table 2,800 times. He then continued the challenge in the tiny courtyard of his block of flats. He started at 4am and ran for nine hours.

  • Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli will sing on Easter Sunday in a presentation from Milan Cathedral to be streamed online. "This won't be a concert," said Bocelli. "It will rather be an opportunity to pray together."

  • More than 300 former Metropolitan Police officers have volunteered to temporarily return to the force.
    By Harriet Barber

TODAY’S MOODBOARD

Three pleasant things to put into your head 

1.

2.

The full moon rise above Hohenzollern castle in Hechingen, Germany

The full moon rise above Hohenzollern castle in Hechingen, Germany - SHUTTERSTOCK
The full moon rise above Hohenzollern castle in Hechingen, Germany - SHUTTERSTOCK

3.

  • Do you have some good news to share? What's made you happier in the past 24 hours? Have you seen a pleasing picture of a friendly animal? Please send it all our way, either by commenting below or emailing coronapositive@telegraph.co.uk

  • For stories showcasing community spirit, plus the best advice for coping with coronavirus isolation sign up for our free You Are Not Alone newsletter.