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    Coronavirus - 16th April

    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    Coronavirus - 16th April Empty Coronavirus - 16th April

    Post by Kitkat Thu 16 Apr 2020, 06:38

    Summary for Thursday, 16th April

    • The IMF says the impact of the coronavirus on Asia will be "severe, across the board, and unprecedented"
    • There is hope of a rebound in 2021, but "it is highly uncertain how this year will progress", it says
    • Global infections passed the 2 million mark on Wednesday
    • The G20 group of top economies have agreed to suspend debt payments owed to them by 77 of the world's poorest countries
    • Germany has said smaller shops can start opening next week, as it eases its restrictions
    • US President Donald Trump has doubled down on his accusations that the WHO mishandled the crisis
    • Bill Gates, a major WHO donor, has said Trump's removal of US funding from WHO is "as dangerous as it sounds"


    Welcome back to our rolling coverage. From across Asia, Australia and later Europe and the US, we will keep you up to date with all developments from around the globe.
    Here’s what you need to know this morning.

    • The International Monetary Fund says Asia’s economic growth this year will grind to a halt for the first time in 60 years, as the virus takes an “unprecedented” toll
    • There are now more than two million confirmed infections
    • The deaths of 134,354 people have been linked to the virus



    • China has closed one of its temporary Covid-19 hospitals, which was built in days
    • Germany has followed some other European countries, announcing plans to slowly ease restrictions , with some shops possibly opening as early as next week


    What's happening in Asia?
    As we wake up to a new day in Asia, here's a quick look at what's been happening in the region:

    • US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has stressed the need for China to be transparent and to share its data on the Covid-19 outbreak. He also stressed the "importance" of China's facilitation of medical supplies to the US
    • The IMF has warned that economic growth in Asia Pacific is expected to "stall at zero percent" in 2020, calling this its "worst growth performance in almost 60 years"
    • India has agreed to sell hydroxychloroquine to Malaysia - it's still not proven that the medicine is successful in treating Covid-19
    • Japan has urged its citizens to stay home, as reports of a health ministry projection say as many as 400,000 people could die without urgent action. Japan currently has around 9,000 confirmed cases
    • Singapore has seen its highest daily spike with 447 new cases - the majority linked to a growing migrant worker cluster


    What’s happening in Australia?


    • The state of South Australia recorded no new cases yesterday - another sign of the sustained national decline here. Other states have also reported dwindling numbers even as testing is widened
    • National Cabinet will meet to discuss what to do with schools – an ongoing point of division between state and federal authorities. Schools remain open technically, but state leaders have urged parents to keep their children at home if they can. Victoria resumed term yesterday with only 3% of pupils in classrooms.
    • Virgin Australia, Australia’s second biggest airline, has extended its share market trading halt as it struggles to find a way to stay afloat.
    • And in unsurprising news, Australians are buying and drinking up to 20% more alcohol in home isolation, a public poll has found.


    IMF warns Asian growth will come to a halt

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says Asia’s economic growth this year will come to a halt for the first time in 60 years.
    The lack of growth will be "worse than the annual average growth rates throughout the Global Financial Crisis (4.7%) or the Asian Financial Crisis (1.3%)", it said.
    The IMF added that if containment policies are effective, there will be a rebound in growth in 2021.
    The warning comes just days after the World Bank warned South Asia faced its worst economic performance in 40 years because of the virus.

    'Our generation’s Great Depression'

    The IMF’s bleak warning echoes other multilateral institutions like the World Bank - but goes a step further - saying that Asia could likely see zero growth this year, for the first time in 60 years.
    For all of us who lived through the Asian Financial Crisis, these warnings will bring back stark memories of currency crashes, property prices tumbling and millions out of work. Wealth that was built up in decades disappearing in a matter of months.
    The coronavirus economic crisis will be even worse - our generation’s Great Depression.
    The economic crisis this time is different from both the Global Financial Crisis and the Asian Financial Crisis the IMF says, because back then - households could still go out to the shops, and buy things, or eat at restaurants - keeping small businesses alive.
    This time, that’s not possible. The IMF says governments must help these households and firms survive because the impact of the coronavirus will be "severe, across the board and unprecedented".
    But the reality is only a few countries in the region have that sort of financial firepower to do this. Many are grappling with huge populations, limited financial resources, and the very real possibility of political instability as their people get sick, hungry - or both.

    Japan lawmaker expelled after cabaret visit

    A Japanese lawmaker has been expelled from his party after he visited an adult entertainment club in Tokyo - despite the capital being under a state of emergency.
    50-year-old Takashi Takai admitted that he visited the "sexy cabaret club" in Tokyo's nightlife district on 9 April, said news agency Jiji Press.
    He offered to quit the party but the Constitutional Democratic Party declined his resignation offer, expelling him instead.
    The party's secretary general said Takai had apologised for his "thoughtless behaviour".
    The capital Tokyo and several other prefectures in Japan are under a month-long state of emergency and people have been asked to stay home.
    PM Shinzo Abe has especially urged people to refrain from visiting nightclubs and bars to prevent clusters developing.

    Thais sell off jewellery as gold price spikes

    People in Thailand have been rushing to sell their gold jewellery as the price of the precious metal spiked, and the economy begins to suffer.
    In Bangkok, people flocked to Yaowarat, Bangkok's Chinatown, to trade their bracelets, necklaces and rings for cash.
    Gold surged to a seven-year high on Tuesday - and many Thais keep gold jewellery as an investment for times of economic hardship.

    Singapore sees highest number of daily cases

    Singapore has seen its highest daily spike with 447 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the total to 3,699.
    Most have been linked to growing clusters in densely-packed migrant worker dormitories. The S11 Dormitory in Punggol - Singapore's biggest cluster - now has 797 cases.
    The sharp daily rise is in part down to Singapore's aggressive testing.
    Hundreds of migrant workers living in dormitories - even those who are well - are being tested each day, so its likely we'll continue to see numbers rise.
    More than 1,000 migrant workers deemed healthy have already been moved out of these dormitories and placed in other accommodation.
    Read more about Singapore's second wave of the virus here.

    Second Chinese city bans eating dogs and cats

    A second city in China has banned the eating of dog and cat meat in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
    The city of Zhuhai follows the example by Shenzen near Hong Kong - in both cases the ban will go into effect on 1 May.
    The decision has been welcomed by animal rights activists who hope the pandemic will help to ban consumption of cats and dogs across China.
    Thirty million dogs a year are killed across Asia for meat, says Humane Society International (HSI).
    However, the practice of eating dog meat in China is not that common - the majority of Chinese people have never done so and say they don't want to.
    Read our report on the Shenzen ban here.

    Australia jobless stat doesn't show full picture

    The latest job loss numbers have just dropped in Australia - a 5.2% unemployment rate for March, edging up from 5.1% last month.
    However that figure fails to capture the carnage the virus is wreaking on Australia's economy - because households were surveyed before restaurants were forced to shut and our borders closed.
    We've seen thousands of people queuing for welfare across the country, and the economy is set to plunge into its first recession since 1991.
    That will see unemployment rise to 10% - the forecast released by the treasury this week. That means the most number of Australians without a job in almost 30 years.



    Rich countries delay poor nations' debt payments

    Countries in the G20, the club of the wealthiest nations, have agreed to suspend debt repayments owed to them by some of the world's poorest countries.
    There are concerns that low-income countries will face an especially hard time coping with both the health and economic fallout of the pandemic.
    Click here to read our full story.

    Death toll spikes - but Trump says cases have peaked

    The United States has seen its highest daily death toll yet, with nearly 2,600 people with Covid-19 dying in the past 24 hours. That's not just the country's highest number - but the highest daily toll of any country worldwide.
    The figures came after President Donald Trump said "the data suggests that nationwide we have passed the peak on new cases" .
    He also said the trend put US states in a strong position to re-open the economy and that he would announce guidelines on Thursday.
    The Trump administration previously pencilled in 1 May as a possible date to reopen the nation, but the president said some states may return to normality earlier than that.
    The US has almost 640,000 confirmed cases and more than 30,000 deaths linked to Covid-19.

    Rita Wilson's 'extreme side effects' from chloroquine

    American singer Rita Wilson, who with her husband actor Tom Hanks, fell sick with the virus last month in Australia, has raised concerns about use of the drug chloroquine.
    She told American TV channel CBS she felt "such extreme side effects", when she was given the medication in a Gold Coast hospital.
    "I was completely nauseous and I had vertigo. I could not walk and my muscles felt very weak. I think people have to be very considerate about that drug," she said.
    Chloroquine, and a related derivative, hydroxychloroquine, have gained attention after US President Donald Trump touted them as effective treatments. But the World Health Organization (WHO) says there is no definitive evidence they work.


    Nicaragua's president reappears after a month

    Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has reappeared after being absent from public view for more than a month.
    In a televised message, Mr Ortega defended his government's record on coronavirus - saying only one person had died in the country.
    He said he had not ordered a lockdown because of the economic impact this would have.
    "In the midst of this pandemic work has not stopped because here, if you stop working, the country dies," he said. "And if the country dies, the people die."
    Ortega also said the pandemic was a sign from God telling the world it was on the wrong track.
    A fierce critic of the United States, he said the world should stop buying nuclear arms and military hardware and spend the money instead on hospitals and clinics.
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    Coronavirus - 16th April Empty Re: Coronavirus - 16th April

    Post by Kitkat Thu 16 Apr 2020, 06:47

    What's the latest from India?

    We're waking up to our second day of lockdown 2.0 - and there's some good news: the national capital, Delhi, and the western state of Maharashtra have both reported a dip in cases. On Wednesday, Delhi confirmed just 17 new cases and Maharashtra reported 232 - a drop of just over 30%.


    • Two Indian firms have begun production of antibody rapid testing kits - seen as one way for India to ramp up its dismal testing rates
    • The government has identified 170 districts out of some 700 across India as "red-zone areas" or Covid-19 hotspots
    • There are fears that India's aviation industry may not survive the pandemic - the grounded sector is skating close to bankruptcy and is desperate to resume operations. No bailout has been announced yet
    • According to the latest figures, India has crossed more than 11,000 cases and confirmed 414 deaths


    How India's Kerala state 'flattened the curve'

    Soutik Biswas - India Correspondent
    Kerala, many believe, has turned out to be a striking outlier in the battle against the virus in India.
    In the beginning, the odds seemed to be stacked against the picturesque southern state, which is a major tourist location.
    In January, it reported the first Covid-19 case in India. The number of cases rose steadily, and it became a hotspot.
    But two months later, half a dozen states are reporting more infections than Kerala. And more than two months after the outbreak, the state has reported just three deaths and around 370 confirmed cases of the infection.
    Many believe Kerala has flattened the curve at a time when the infection is on the rise all over India. But is it too early to declare a victory?
    Read the full story here.

    All Blacks take 50% pay cut

    The New Zealand rugby team, known as the All Blacks, have agreed to defer half of their wages for this season.
    The deferred payments will be "waived permanently" if no more rugby is possible this season. But some wages could be reinstated if play resumes.
    The cuts will apply to players from all Super Rugby clubs in the country, and the women's Black Ferns team, but players on the lowest incomes will be protected.

    More than 70 quarantined after pizza man tests positive

    More than 70 people have been quarantined in India's national capital, Delhi, after a pizza delivery employee tested positive for Covid-19.
    None of the 72 people have been tested yet, reported the Indian Express newspaper
    “All of them are under home quarantine, and will be tested if they develop symptoms,” officials said.
    India has just entered its second phase of a lockdown that was recently extended to 3 May. The delivery of food and groceries is allowed.

    5:02

    Australian PM due to speak

    Scott Morrison will shortly give an update from Canberra on the national cabinet meeting between federal and state leaders this morning.
    On the agenda: how to get students back to school, and a potential timeline for when other lockdown measures could be loosened.
    Australia has recorded significant success in flattening the curve in recent weeks.

    Beijing sees first local transmissions in weeks

    China has seen a slight decline in imported cases and small uptick in local transmissions.
    On Wednesday, the number of new new local transmissions rose to 12 from ten, with three of those cases in Beijing - the first such infections there in weeks.
    Imported cases were down to 34, down for the third consecutive day after the country implemented stricter border measures.
    In recent weeks, imported infections have been China's main concern - with new cases brought in by Chinese nationals coming across the border with Russia.

    Wuhan couples rush to get married

    Couples are rushing back to register offices and wedding photography studios - a sign that life is slowly going back to normal in the Chinese virus epicentre of Wuhan.
    The city, which was under lockdown for 11 weeks, finally reopened its doors on 8 April. And since its re-opening, couples have rushed to go through with wedding plans which had been delayed for months.
    "The demand for wedding photos is high after the lockdown. But we decided to serve only two or three couples a day instead of more than 16 before the outbreak over safety concerns," the manager of one wedding photography studio told state media outlet ECNS.

    MSF launches homeless project in Canada

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    The medical charity Medecins Sans Frontières has launched its first ever project in Canada, to help homeless people infected with coronavirus.
    It's a rare move by MSF, which usually works in developing countries or war zones.
    A facility with 400 beds is to open in the country's largest city Toronto, MSF told the news agency AFP.
    The city is thought to have as many as 10,000 homeless, many of them in poor health.
    Canada has almost 30,000 confirmed coronavirus infections and just over 1,000 deaths so far.

    Food selfies land Singaporean man in trouble

    A Singaporean man who breached his stay-at-home notice to go for a meal has pleaded guilty to exposing others to the risk of infection.
    Alan Tham flew to Singapore from Myanmar last month and was told to stay at home for two weeks.
    But instead, the 34-year-old went out to meet his girlfriend for dinner - even posting his meal on social media, where he was criticised by his friends.
    "Dude. Not a responsible move," said one commenter, according to a report from Channel News Asia.
    Photos of his meal later went viral and were reported to police.
    Sentencing has been adjourned but he could face up to six months in jail, a fine of up to S$10,000 ($6,990) or both.

    Michigan workers demand lifting of lockdown

    One of the latest places to extend its lockdown is the US state of Michigan, which has seen 27,000 Covid-19 cases and more than 1,700 deaths.
    But Governor Gretchen Whitmer's extension provoked an angry response from some workers, who blocked roads and demanded the state re-open.

    Pakistan eases restrictions for key industries

    In an effort to cushion the economic fallout, Pakistan has loosened restrictions for more than a dozen sectors.
    Industries allowed to operate include construction, cement, fertiliser, e-commerce, packaging manufacturers and a handful of other smaller businesses, the government announced on Wednesday.
    The country has at least 5,988 confirmed cases and 107 virus-related deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
    Here's more news from the rest of South Asia:


    • Cases are rapidly surging in Bangladesh - infections are doubling every 2.5 days and there have been more than 1,000 cases so far. Officials announced a rise of 219 new cases
    • on Wednesday - the biggest daily spike yet. Garment workers have also been protesting over layoffs - and wages that have been withheld for days
    • In Nepal, the government extended its lockdown earlier this week after cases jumped to 16. International borders will be closed until 1 May and new kits from China have enabled the country to increase testing
    • Nearly two weeks have gone by without a single new case in Bhutan, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Three citizens who tested positive are in quarantine and all businesses have been ordered to shut by 7pm.


    WW2 veteran's NHS fundraiser nears £12m

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    Tom Moore is aiming to walk 100 laps of 25m around his garden

    A 99-year-old war veteran in the UK who is walking 100 laps of his garden before he turns 100 has raised nearly £12m ($15m) for health charities.
    Captain Tom Moore originally wanted to raise £1,000 for NHS Charities Together by completing laps of his garden.
    But he has now topped 10,000 times his initial target thanks to donations from over 500,000 people online.


    Kenyans attempt to storm out of quarantine centre

    Dozens of Kenyans who have been in mandatory quarantine attempted to storm out of an isolation centre in the capital, Nairobi - because of what they say are unbearable conditions.
    People who entered the country before the closure of borders have been held in isolation.
    But many have told the BBC they are suffering because of a government directive to extend their stay in isolation.
    "As of now we have no intention to go back to the quarantine facility. First, on our inability to pay, and secondly because it does not make any scientific sense for our continued stay at the centre," Simon Mugambi told journalists at the Kenyatta University quarantine centre on Wednesday.
    "The problem is they have continued to detain us even after posting negative results two consecutive times. The government continues to insist that this is being done at our own cost and we do not have the means to pay."


    Ruling party wins South Korea pandemic election

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    It's been an election like no other. Amid the coronavirus outbreak, South Koreans yesterday went to the polls. But with strict distancing in place, the vote went smoothly and President Moon Jae-in's ruling party won a decisive victory.
    South Korea was one of the first countries hit by the virus outside of China but has since managed to contain the spread like few other nations.
    Daily infections are low as is the overall death toll. And the successful response has contributed to the support for the Democratic Party.
    Click here to read our full story on the vote. The election was also noteworthy as for the first time, a North Korean defector won a seat in parliament.

    Australian PM says greater surveillance needed

    Australia is succeeding in flattening the curve but to forge "the road out" of lockdown, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says a "more extensive surveillance regime" needs to be brought in.
    He praised the extensive testing and contact-tracing system in place, and the actions from states to open testing to anyone with symptoms.
    "But we need to do even better than that... so when we move to lesser restricted environment we can identify outbreaks very quickly and respond to them."
    His government this week proposed a mobile app which would trace the movements of patients - technology also used in Singapore and South Korea - but this has raised privacy concerns.
    At least 40% of Australians would need to download the app for it to be effective.
    "We need the support of Australians," said the PM.
    "If we can get that in place, get the tracing capability up from where it is, that will give us more options and Australians more freedom."
    Australia has closed its borders and forced a lockdown of non-essential businesses.
    People are discouraged to leave their homes, but schools, public transport, shops and outdoor areas remain open.
    The nation has confirmed over 6,300 cases but fewer than 100 were detected this week.
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    Coronavirus - 16th April Empty Re: Coronavirus - 16th April

    Post by Kitkat Thu 16 Apr 2020, 06:53

    The latest UK developments


    Good morning to those just joining us in the UK.
    If you are wondering what you may have missed overnight, here are some of the latest developments:


    Tanzania's cases jump significantly

    Tanzania's health ministry has announced the country's biggest rise in coronavirus cases, with 29 new patients.
    Of those, 26 were detected in the commercial hub, Dar es Salaam, two in the north-western town of Mwanza and one in the Kilimanjaro area.
    Earlier, the health ministry in the semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar announced six new cases - also the biggest rise in the archipelago since the outbreak began.
    The total confirmed cases in Tanzania is now 88.
    Unlike many of its East African neighbours, the country has not restricted movement - but has imposed measures limiting some public gatherings.

    Thailand bungles virus aid package

    On Tuesday a crowd of angry, sometimes tearful people gathered in front of Thailand’s finance ministry, to protest their exclusion from a government monthly handout of 5000 baht ($160, £122) for lower-paid workers in the informal sector who have lost their jobs because of the crisis.
    More than 20 million people applied for the scheme, but only nine million were approved, although the government is allowing people to appeal against their rejection.
    Now Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has acknowledged that the scheme, which was supposed to last for at least three months, and was, perhaps optimistically, titled ‘No-one Left Behind’, in fact has enough funding for only one month of payments.
    Any further payments, he said, would depend on him signing new decrees to approve additional economic stimulus.
    The Thai government has promised to spend at least $58 billion, around ten percent of GDP, on various measures to help the ailing economy.
    One leg of the Thai economy, tourism, has been shattered by the crisis. Another, export manufacturing, has been hit hard.
    Household debt has risen over the past decade to around 80 percent of GDP, and most Thai households cannot survive without income for long, unless the government steps in.

    The UK newspapers

    Several of Thursday's newspapers carry hope the UK is reaching the peak of the coronavirus epidemic.
    Quoting the government's chief medical adviser Prof Chris Whitty on the number of cases "flattening out", the Times says the news means the UK will soon be able to finalise plans for lifting lockdown measures.
    The Daily Mail, meanwhile, has a stark account of the impact coronavirus is having on care homes.
    It describes how six of the 18 residents at Philia Lodge care home in Peterborough have died in just 10 days. Some 85% of carers there have either been sick or had to self-isolate after coming into contact with infected residents.



    Australia's schools scuffle continues

    As we reported earlier, the schools issue is still a fiery point of contention between federal and state authorities.
    Prime Minister Scott Morrison wants schools to be up and running - and has repeatedly stressed this is condoned by medical advice.
    However, states run the schools - and almost all of them, particularly Victoria - have taken the view that full classrooms are too risky. So while schools remain open technically, parents have been advised to keep their children at home if they can.
    This has frustrated Mr Morrison, who has regularly referred to his own children attending school in Sydney until term break last week.
    "I want my kids to go back to school and be taught in a classroom by a teacher," he said.
    But parents are fearful and remain confused by the different messages. The debate is likely to carry on as different states resume school terms in coming weeks.
    Victoria went back yesterday - and 97% of students stayed at home.
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    Coronavirus - 16th April Empty Re: Coronavirus - 16th April

    Post by Kitkat Thu 16 Apr 2020, 13:49

    IMF chief calls for Brexit trade talk extension

    Faisal Islam - BBC Economics Editor
    The UK and EU should "not add to uncertainty" from coronavirus by refusing to extend the period to negotiate a post-Brexit trade deal, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has suggested.
    Managing director Kristalina Georgieva told the BBC that because of the "unprecedented uncertainty" it would be "wise not to add more on top of it".
    Asked specifically if she would advise an extension to trade talks, Ms Georgieva said: "My advice would be to seek ways in which this element of uncertainty is reduced in the interests of everybody, the UK, the EU, and the whole world".
    As a reminder, the UK formally left the EU on 31 January, but it remains in a transition period up to 31 December - by which time an EU-UK trade deal is supposed to be in place.

    • You can read Faisal's full piece here.


    Tour de France now due in late August

    Sport continues to be disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, with the Tour de France the latest major event to be postponed.
    Cycling's biggest race, due to begin in June, has been rescheduled to start on 29 August.
    It forms part of a revised schedule for sports fans later in 2020, assuming events are given the go-ahead.

    • What sporting events are still on in 2020?


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    Burger King, KFC and Pret partially reopen in UK

    Three major UK chains have said they will reopen a limited number of their restaurants for deliveries.
    Although the government said restaurants and pubs could remain open for deliveries or takeaways, many chains decided to close when the lockdown began in March.

    • Burger King is to reopen four restaurants: two in Bristol, one in Coventry, and one in Swindon, with a pared-down menu. It says it will also donate 1,000 meals per week to NHS staff in nearby hospitals
    • KFC said it had reopened 11 UK restaurants in the past week for delivery only in Aldershot, Birmingham, Glasgow, Ipswich, London, Manchester, Portsmouth, Stockport, and Tamworth. It has donated "thousands" of meals to frontline workers
    • Ten Pret a Manger stores near hospitals in London are due to open from today. The chain says it will donate an additional 7,000 meals per week to homeless charities, and offer NHS workers a 50% discount until the end of the month


    All major Indian cities named Covid-19 hotspots

    Six major cities, including the capital Delhi and the financial capital Mumbai, have been designated "red zones" for the coronavirus.
    In its guidelines issued late on Wednesday, the government divided the country into colour-coded zones depending on the level of infection.
    Red zones indicate infection hotspots, orange is for zones with some infection, while green indicates an area with no infections.
    In total, 170 districts of the country have been designated red zones.
    Apart from Delhi and Mumbai, the cities of Chennai (formerly Madras), Bangalore, Kolkata and Hyderabad have all been marked red.
    So far, officials haven't designated any green zone areas.
    You can find more details here

    Doctors in Egypt fear PPE shortage

    Doctors tackling coronavirus in Egypt have told the BBC they are worried about shortages of protective equipment, and feel their concerns are not being taken seriously enough.
    But the government says supplies are sufficient, and a doctor at one quarantine hospital said medics there had been able to secure extra masks quickly.
    As of Wednesday, the Middle East's most populous country had seen 178 deaths from the virus. According to the World Health Organization, about 13% of those infected in Egypt are healthcare workers.

    WW2 veteran completes 100th lap of garden

    He's done it!
    World War Two veteran Captain Tom Moore, 99, has completed 100 laps of his garden in an effort which has raised more than £12m for the NHS.
    He originally wanted to raise £1,000 for NHS Charities Together by completing the distance.

    'We will get through this' - Captain Tom Moore, 99

    "It's just out of this world."
    That was the reaction from World War Two veteran Tom Moore, 99, after completing the 100th lap of his garden and raising more than £12m for the NHS in the process.
    Moore was shown tributes to his effort from celebrities including England cricketer Ben Stokes, and the veteran joined in as singer Michael Ball gave a rendition of 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.

    'Too early' to lift lockdown - UK health secretary

    The UK government is expected to announce a three-week extension to the coronavirus lockdown later today.
    Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he did not want to "waste" the efforts of the public by lifting the lockdown measures too early, because coronavirus would "run rampant once again".
    Hancock told BBC Breakfast there would be more detail in the official announcement but that the government had been clear it was "too early to make a change".
    "Whilst we have seen a flattening of the number of cases, and thankfully a flattening of the number of deaths, that hasn't started to come down yet," he said.

    Hancock pledges more tests for care workers amid criticism

    More than 10,000 UK care home residents have been tested for coronavirus, as well as 1,500 social care workers, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC on Thursday.
    The government has faced serious criticism over its strategy around protecting elderly care homes during the pandemic. On Saturday social care directors wrote to the Department of Health and Social Carecalling the government's handling of protective equipment for care workers "shambolic".
    In the letter, seen by the BBC, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services criticised the approaches to funding, testing, personal protective equipment and the shielding scheme for vulnerable people.
    The government has also come under fire over how long it has taken to increase testing capacity in general.
    Hancock said that in total there was, as of Thursday, "capacity for 25,000 tests" to be carried out a day in the UK and that "what really matters" is the availability of testing for social care.
    He said there had now been 27 verified deaths of NHS staff. Responding to the death of nurse Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, he said: "We're all deeply touched by deaths of nurses like this."

    French care home fights to keep virus at bay

    Care homes have become a vulnerable front in the fight against coronavirus - and in France they account for a third of the 17,000 fatalities linked to Covid-19 so far.
    One care home in southern France has recorded 36 deaths. But at the homes that remain virus-free, a desperate effort is under way to keep it that way.
    The BBC's Henri Astier reports on one home that has been under lockdown for more than a month.
    Click here to read how the director is trying to balance the risk for patients and carers

    Latest in Europe: Outbreak on French ship worsens

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    Sailors from the Charles de Gaulle were quarantined

    An outbreak on a French aircraft carrier has worsened, as some nations begin to slowly ease lockdown restrictions. Here’s the latest from Europe:

    • The nuclear-powered French flagship Charles de Gaulle was ordered home early from deployment last week because a number of crew were showing symptoms. Medical teams now say at least 668 sailors from the carrier and an escort vessel have tested positive and 20 are in hospital
    • France recorded 1,438 deaths on Wednesday, its biggest daily jump, due to a number of nursing homes reporting cumulative deaths over the Easter weekend. You can read about one home’s fight against the virus here
    • Several countries are beginning to ease measures, including Germany. Schools will start to reopen there from 4 May and shops sized under 800 square metres can return to business provided they implement strict safety measures
    • The mayor of Barcelona has made a plea on Facebook to "free Spain’s children". Spain is the only European country where all children are barred from going outside for any reason


    UK 'to need social distancing until vaccine ready'

    Professor Neil Ferguson, whose scientific modelling has guided the UK government's coronavirus strategy, has said the nation will need to keep up some form of social distancing until a vaccine becomes available.
    Discussing whether lockdown measures could be eased after another three weeks, Ferguson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think that will very much depend on quite how quickly case numbers go down, and that does require us to get on top of things like transmission rates in hospitals and care homes."
    The Imperial College London epidemiologist said a ramping up of testing and contact tracing was needed, adding that if lockdown measures were relaxed without something in their place the UK could see a resurgence of transmission.
    "We will have to maintain some form of social distancing, a significant level of social distancing, probably indefinitely until we have a vaccine available," he said.
    There is currently no proven vaccine for the virus. A team at the University of Oxford said last week it was confident it could have a vaccine working by September, but that it would likely not be ready for distribution until next year.

    Merkel praised for her clear, concise style

    The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, is known for her straightforward - at times dry - way of speaking. But amid a global pandemic, her sober style and simple explanations of facts have been widely praised (although most Germans see it as normal).
    Her clear description - see below - of how small increases in infection rates could overwhelm the country's health system is quite different in style to some other world leaders.
    Merkel announced that as of next week shops under a certain size could open their doors but warned that the country had achieved only a "fragile intermediate success".
    Before entering politics, Merkel was a scientist. She trained as a quantum chemist.
    Watch video

    EU offers grieving Italy 'heartfelt apology'

    The president of the European Commission has offered a "heartfelt apology" for letting Italy down at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
    "Yes it is true that no one was really ready for this," Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament on Thursday morning. "It is also true that too many were not there on time when Italy needed a helping hand at the very beginning. And yes for that, it is right that Europe as a whole offers a heartfelt apology."
    More than 21,000 people with the virus have died in Italy, according to Johns Hopkins University - the highest death toll in Europe.
    As Italy struggled to contain the outbreak in early March, both France and Germany placed restrictions on the export of face masks - despite warnings from the EU Commission that such actions could undermine the collective response to the virus.
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    Guatemala fears rise in cases from US deportees

    There are fears that coronavirus could spread further in Guatemala after a number of its nationals who had recently been deported from the US tested positive for the virus.
    Three quarters of passengers on one flight alone were found to have the virus, the health minister said.
    Guatemala has joined El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico in calling for a halt to deportations from the US because of the threat of the pandemic spreading further.
    Nearly a third of the world's two million confirmed cases have been reported in the US, according to Johns Hopkins University, while Guatemala has recorded fewer than 200 infections.

    How has California kept ahead of the curve?

    When California became the first US state outside of Washington to record a coronavirus-linked death on 4 March, there were fears the virus would spread quickly through the populous state.
    Even Governor Gavin Newsom predicted that over half the state's 40 million residents could be infected.
    While California isn't out of the woods yet, some experts are saying it could reach its peak as soon as this week, and a study by the University of Washington has revised the projection for deaths in the state from 6,000 to well under 2,000.
    So how did the state keep ahead of the curve?
    Read this from the BBC's Regan Morris in Los Angeles.

    Nine in 10 dead in England and Wales had existing illness

    More than nine in 10 people dying with coronavirus have an underlying health condition, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
    The ONS looked at nearly 4,000 deaths during March in England and Wales where coronavirus was mentioned on the death certificate.
    In 91% of cases the individuals had other health problems.
    The most common was heart disease, followed by dementia and respiratory illness.
    The average number of pre-existing conditions in those who died was 2.7.

    Marathon effort to help charities

    Organisers of the UK's major mass-participation events - including the London Marathon - have launched a campaign to help charities plug an expected £4bn income shortfall.
    The 2.6 Challenge aims to get the public to come up with activities to compensate for the cancellation of events because of coronavirus.
    It will launch on Sunday 26 April, the original date for the 26-mile London Marathon, which has been postponed until 4 October to limit the spread of coronavirus.
    The challenge hopes to inspire people to create their own athletic activities based around the numbers 2.6 or 26.
    More on this story here.

    Online classes bring a sense of calm in anxious times

    Coronavirus - 16th April 57fb6910
    Tenzin Drolma's meditation classes have attracted more than a 1,000 people

    With temples, churches, mosques and other places of worship shutting their doors to help curb the spread of coronavirus, many people have taken up spirituality services online.
    From a remote hillside retreat in northern India, Tibetan Buddhist nun Tenzin Drolma's online classes on meditation drew more than 1,000 people from across 57 countries recently. It was a happy surprise, since she was expecting only about 100 to tune in, she told the AFP news agency.
    The US-born teacher said she sets up her classes in the prayer hall where she used to hold in-person sessions before the lockdown.
    "I think that makes it as real as when I have actual people there," she said from the retreat in Dharamsala.
    And in Rishikesh, a city in the Himalayan foothills often called the yoga capital of the world, instructors from the Parmarth Niketan ashram have moved their classes from the banks of the Ganges to the web.
    Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, originally from California, lives at the ashram. She said she hoped the yoga classes would help people feel "healthy, stress-free and anxiety-free".

    'Free our children!' - Barcelona mayor

    Spain has been under lockdown since 14 March. But unlike other European nations, in Spain children are not allowed outside for any reason.
    Ada Colau, the mayor of Barcelona, has called for an end to the confinement, calling on the government to "Free our children!"
    In a Facebook post, Ms Colau wrote that like many parents she worried about her children's "psychological and emotional health".
    "We are tired of being told that we are soldiers and this is a war, instead of talking about how to take care of our lives and each other," she wrote.
    You can read more about that here.
    The state of emergency in Spain has been extended until at least 26 April. Latest figures from the country show that total deaths have risen to 19,130, with 551 recorded in the last 24 hours compared to 557 on Wednesday. The country has reported 182,816 confirmed cases of coronavirus.

    Germany's Oktoberfest in limbo

    Coronavirus - 16th April 85020710

    The Oktoberfest is one of Germany's most famous annual traditions - a beer festival that attracts tourists from around the country and well beyond its borders. (We're looking at you, Australians.)
    October might seem a long way away, but Bavaria's state premier has just said that the festival may be cancelled this year.
    "I am very, very sceptical and can hardly imagine that an event of that size is at all possible," Markus Söder told reporters.
    His warning came as Germany on Thursday recorded another 2,900 new infections and 315 more deaths over the past 24 hours. In total Germany has had more than 130,000 cases, though more than half of those people have already recovered.

    UK farms fly in pickers from Eastern Europe

    The first of six specially chartered flights from Romania to London will land on Thursday afternoon carrying 150 people to assist British farmers pick fruit and vegetables.
    Despite a high profile "Pick for Britain" campaign appealing to students and laid-off hospitality workers to help with the harvest, not enough British workers have come forward.
    The six flights were privately chartered by large UK food producers and will land between now and June.
    The National Farmers Union estimates a shortage of 70,000 seasonal farm workers that has been exacerbated by the Covid 19 lockdown.
    Before boarding, the prospective workers will have their temperatures checked, fill out a health questionnaire and be given masks and hand sanitiser. On arrival in the UK, they will be taken by bus to farms in East Anglia to pick lettuce.
    Mark Bridgeman, the president of the Country Land and Business Association, said bringing in workers from overseas to help meet the shortfall was "the right thing to do if we want to keep the supermarkets stocked".

    More than 1,600 new cases in Iran

    The number of infections in Iran rose by 1,606 in the past day to reach 77,995, Kianush Jahanpur, a spokesman for the country's health ministry said.
    The country's official death toll from the outbreak rose by 92 to 4,869. Iran has suffered more deaths than any other Middle Eastern country.
    But footage of large numbers of bodies at a morgue in Qom, the city at the centre of Iran's outbreak, suggest the country is struggling to deal with the numbers of dead.
    There are fears the true death toll could be far higher than official figures.
    Read the full report by BBC Persian's Behrang Tajdin and Louise Adamou.

    ONS reports rise in community cohesion

    More than half of adults in the UK say they feel an increased sense of belonging with their neighbours, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics, and a similar number say they've checked on vulnerable neighbours in the last week.
    In good news for the government, nearly all adults (96.8%) said they had avoided physical contact following social-distancing guidelines.
    According to the ONS data, 45.6% of adults were worried about holidays and gap years being impacted, while 48.1% said they were concerned about not being able to make future plans.
    More than four in five adults were worried about the effect Covid-19 was having on their mental wellbeing - with 46.9% reporting high levels of anxiety.
    Unsurprisingly staying in touch with family and friends remotely was the most common way for people to try to cope (76.9%).
    Coronavirus - 16th April Ee832210

    Latin America update: Protests at Mexico factory

    Coronavirus - 16th April 4a264410
    Workers at Regal assembly plant in Mexico say their work is not essential


    • Factory workers in Ciudad Juárez in Mexico have held a protest demanding that the Regal plant, which assembles electric motors for household appliances, be shut down. The employees said their work was not essential and that not enough was being done to protect them from coronavirus. Mexico has said that it could force the closure of non-essential companies if they refuse to suspend operations
    • The Galapagos Islands, a volcanic archipelago almost 1,000km off the coast of Ecuador, have 78 confirmed cases of coronavirus. Forty-eight of those who have tested positive are crew on board a tourist ship. About 30,000 people live on the islands, which have a limited medical facilities.
    • A two-month-old baby from the Warao indigenous group has tested positive for coronavirus, officials in Brazil say. The baby's parents fled the economic crisis in Venezuela. Health experts have warned that the coronavirus pandemic could "wipe out" indigenous communities in Brazil.


    UK government approves first new ventilator

    As the coronavirus spread through the UK the government realised it needed many more ventilators, and called on British engineers to create new machines for the front line.
    The first design has now been approved. Oxford-based firm Penlon worked with other companies - including Formula One racing teams, Ford and Siemens - to get the design finished, and the government has put in 15,000 orders.
    Penlon’s Prima ES02 model will begin shipping today, with the first 40 devices heading to a Ministry of Defence base before being delivered to hospitals. Hundreds of units are expected to be built over the next week.
    The government has promised it will shield manufacturers of new ventilators from the cost of potential legal claims over intellectual property infringements, or personal injury caused by defective machines, according to a report in the Financial Times on Thursday

    EasyJet to leave middle plane seats empty

    British low-cost airline EasyJet plans to keep the middle seat on its planes empty to allow for social distancing once the Covid-19 lockdown has been lifted.
    The airline grounded its entire fleet at the end of March.
    Chief executive Johan Lundgren said he hoped the seating measure would encourage more people to fly.
    He said bookings for winter flights were ahead of last year, helped by customers who had rebooked tickets after Covid-19 disrupted their travel plans.
    The company has faced criticism from customers who have had trouble getting refunds.
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    Post by Kitkat Thu 16 Apr 2020, 14:20

    Lockdown extension expected: latest UK updates

    If you're just joining our live coverage, here are the major UK developments:


    Scotland confirms 80 more virus deaths

    Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has just confirmed 80 more people have died from coronavirus in the country.
    The latest 24-hour figure brings the total number of deaths in Scotland to 779.
    At a "virtual" First Minister's Questions held online, Ms Sturgeon said the lockdown was still "having a positive effect”, as Scottish health authorities were not seeing “sustained increases in the number of people in hospital”.

    Lion around: Big cats find a new resting place

    A ranger at South Africa's Kruger National Park has shared pictures of an unlikely sight - a pride of lions sprawled out across a road usually packed with tourist vans.
    The famous park, like many other places in the country, has been closed to the public. South Africa is currently under a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19.
    More than 2,500 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the country and only essential services are allowed to operate during the lockdown period, which was recently extended until the end of April.
    :tweet:  Kruger National Park:
    :Left Quotes: Kruger visitors that tourists do not normally see. #SALockdown This lion pride are usually resident on Kempiana Contractual Park, an area Kruger tourists do not see. This afternoon they were lying on the tar road just outside of Orpen Rest Camp.
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    EU's 'heartfelt apology' is a significant admission

    Gavin Lee - BBC Europe reporter
    EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has offered a "heartfelt apology" to Italy for not helping enough at the start of the outbreak.
    This is a significant acknowledgement from the most powerful person in Brussels. A formal recognition that in the panic of the moment when Italy most needed help, the famed EU "spirit of solidarity" didn’t show itself.
    It was a difficult thing for Ursula von der Leyen to raise.
    But it seems an underlying rancour is still felt by Italians and others who feel there were too few good Samaritans when it counted - in early March, when Italy was the only country that had enforced a lockdown.
    Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte urgently requested medical equipment for hospital staff as well as ventilators and testing kits, but it was several days before any European government responded.
    Today, the EU Commission president was quick to say things had changed, and that "the true Europe is standing up". But she added that it was important to "have the courage to stand up and tell the truth”, and not to behave like populists and hide facts.
    Italy's Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio responded on Facebook that the statement was an "important act of truth" that was “good for Europe”.

    US jobless claims exceed 21 million

    More than 21 million Americans have lost their jobs in the past four weeks, new figures show. It is by far the worst run of job losses on record.
    According to the latest figures from the Department of Labour, new unemployment claims reached 5.25 million in the week ending 11 April.
    The previous week saw 6.6 million applications.
    Much of the US population is under some form of lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, bringing the US economy to a virtual halt and forcing businesses big and small to lay off employees.
    There are projections that the unemployment rate could reach 20% this month.
    The US has almost 640,000 confirmed cases of the virus, and 30,985 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.

    'We are all in this together' - Gates

    "Covid-19 anywhere is Covid-19 everywhere," Melinda Gates said as she called for global co-operation to beat the pandemic.
    The philanthropist was speaking to Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 5 Live after President Donald Trump announced the US would stop funding the World Health Organization (WHO).
    The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - the second-largest funder of the WHO - has pledged a further $150m (£120m) to fight Covid-19, but she said they did not expect a vaccine to be available for 18 months.
    Gates also said:

    • Her family had predicted a pandemic, making preparations including storing food, but had "hoped we would never see it in our lifetime"


    • When they saw the Wuhan data, she and Bill said - "Oh my gosh, this is actually happening"
    • "There are no tools, nothing we can do specifically, no drugs or vaccine. It is a disease we are all in together"
    • The UK has shown leadership by funding research because "the vaccine is the way to go"
    • De-funding the WHO now makes "no sense".


    When in Rome... don't walk your tortoise

    Coronavirus - 16th April 38971110
    Tortoises need to go for walks too

    Dog-walking near your home is still allowed in Italy, under one of Europe's strictest lockdowns. But in Rome police fined a 60-year-old woman €206 (£180) for walking her pet tortoise, Italian media report.
    Going at tortoise pace evidently gave her more time to linger in the spring sunshine. But now the tortoise's urban adventures are over.
    Italians have to fill out a form and carry it each time they leave home, so they can show police why they are outdoors. Italy is the worst-hit European country, with 21,645 deaths linked to Covid-19.
    About 14,000 people were fined in Italy over the Easter weekend for breaching the lockdown rules, Ansa news agency reports.
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    Post by Kitkat Thu 16 Apr 2020, 15:10

    Police told: Stop people sitting on benches too long

    Danny Shaw - BBC Home Affairs Correspondent
    Police have been told to stop people working in parks or sitting on benches for a long time.
    Guidance to officers in England says neither activity is likely to be a “reasonable excuse” for someone to leave their home during the lockdown.
    But the advice - from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the College of Policing - said people can move to a friend's address for a ‘cooling-off’ period “following arguments at home”.
    It said such moves must be “genuine” and “measured in days, not hours”.
    The advice comes from a three-page document designed to help officers enforce the lockdown measures which were brought in three weeks ago and look set to be extended.
    Part of the guidance spells out that it is acceptable to buy luxury items while shopping, and that driving somewhere to exercise is acceptable as long as "far more time" is spent walking than driving.

    US job losses: A decade of growth erased in four weeks

    In just a month, the coronavirus pandemic has erased the equivalent of all the jobs created in the US since the 2008-2009 recession.
    Analysts say the US has not faced such an economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
    Economists are hopeful unemployment numbers will begin to come down in the coming days, as small businesses get help from the government, and governors discuss how to reopen parts of the country where the virus has peaked.
    President Trump is expected to announce new guidance for re-opening states ahead of 1 May later today.
    As part of a $2tn coronavirus aid package, the federal government has also started sending out economic relief cheques to some 80 million Americans - up to $1,200 per individual and $500 for each child.
    However, it's worth noting the jobless claims do not capture the full picture as not everyone qualifies for unemployment benefits. The self-employed and gig workers have also seen delays in filing for benefits as they only qualified thanks to the March relief bill.
    Coronavirus - 16th April 5527a310

    UK 'will refuse extension to EU trade talks'

    Despite the global pandemic, the UK is still in negotiations with the EU over their future trading relationship - and one side is refusing to extend the timetable.
    After the UK left the bloc in January, it entered a so-called "transition period" - meaning the UK would continue to follow certain EU rules until the end of the year while the details were hammered out.
    Boris Johnson said he would refuse to extend the period past December 2020 - but now figures on both sides of the channel have suggested it should be longer owing to the havoc caused by Covid-19.
    The UK government isn't keen, however. The PM's official spokesman said: "If the EU asks, we will say no," adding that it would "prolong the delay and uncertainty"

    UK nations announce virus-related deaths


    UK-wide figures will be released later this afternoon by the Department of Health and Social Care.

    Footballer Hunter 'remains severely unwell'

    Coronavirus - 16th April 55c47a10
    Ex-Leeds United and England defender Norman Hunter is in hospital with Covid-19

    Ex-Leeds United and England footballer Norman Hunter "remains severely unwell" in hospital, his former club have said.
    Hunter, 76, who played for England 28 times in the 1960s and 70s, and helped Leeds become English champions twice, was admitted to hospital and tested positive for coronavirus last week.
    Leeds' statement said:
    "Norman Hunter continues to battle the Covid-19 virus in hospital and while he is, as expected, fighting incredibly hard, remains severely unwell."
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    UK hospital deaths rise by 861

    The number of coronavirus hospital deaths in the UK has risen by 861, bringing the total number to 13,729, according to figures from the Department of Health and Social Care.
    The Department of Health said that, as of 0900 on Thursday, 327,608 people have been tested, of whom 103,093 tested positive.
    Overall, 417,649 tests have been carried out, with 18,665 on Wednesday, excluding data from Northern Ireland.

    Police find 17 bodies at US care home

    Police in the US found 17 bodies in the morgue of a care home in New Jersey on Monday following a tip-off, according to US media reports.
    The officers had been told there was a body in the shed at the Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center II, but when they arrived they found 17 bodies in a morgue designed to hold just four.
    "The staff was clearly overwhelmed and probably short-staffed," Andover Police Chief Eric Danielson told CNN.
    According to the New York Times, the deceased were among 68 recent deaths linked to the facility and the Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center I, including two nurses. Twenty-six of those who died had tested positive for coronavirus, while the cause of death for the remaining 42 is unknown.
    During a health inspection carried out by Medicare in March, the centre was found to be "much below average".
    Care homes across the world have been struggling to cope with the spread of the virus.

    Tiny Andorra hit hard by virus

    Chris Bockman, Toulouse
    The landlocked principality of Andorra squeezed between Spain and France has been hit hard by Covid-19.
    As of Thursday at least 673 residents have come down with the virus and 33 have died, in a country with a population of just over 77,000.
    A government spokesman told me that six million people visit the tiny country each year - often to go skiing or for duty-free shopping - and that may explain the high infection rate.
    Due to a lack of medical staff, the government invited 39 doctors and nurses from Cuba to help treat patients.
    Meanwhile in France, pet shelters have re-opened today despite the lockdown. The nationwide animal charity the SPA had warned that thousands of pets would have to be put to sleep because of over-crowding and a surge in abandoned cats and dogs.
    Following a public outcry the government backed down, and you can now leave your home in order to adopt a pet.
    Coronavirus - 16th April 022ffd10

    We should be hearing from the UK government in the next 30 minutes, but first let’s take a look at the latest from around the country:


    Ivanka Trump travelled out of state during lockdown

    The White House has released a statement explaining why Ivanka Trump travelled across state lines even as the federal government she works for was advising people to remain at home.
    The US president's eldest daughter and her husband, Trump adviser Jared Kushner, and children travelled to the Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey last week to celebrate Passover.
    Lockdown orders issued by the mayor of Washington DC, where Ivanka Trump lives, ordered residents on 1 April to only leave the home for "essential" travel.
    Days earlier she had told her Twitter followers: "Those lucky enough to be in a position to stay at home, please, please do so.”
    After her travel was first reported by the New York Times on Thursday, the White House attempted to justify her decision.
    The travel was to "a closed-down facility considered to be a family home" and the "travel was no different than had she been traveling to/from work," said the statement provided to US media.
    "The location was less populated than the surrounding area near her home" in DC, the statement continued, adding: "Her travel was not commercial. She chose to spend a holiday in private with her family."

    UK lockdown measures extended

    The UK's coronavirus lockdown measures will be extended for at least three more weeks, First Secretary of State Dominic Raab has announced.
    Dominic Raab says there have been indications that social distancing measures in place are showing success.
    But government advisers say the evidence is "mixed and inconsistent", and in some settings infections are increasing.
    He adds: "We still don't have infection rates down as much as we need to.
    "Any change to social distancing measures now would risk significant increase in infections," he says, as well as a second peak and an increase in the number of deaths.
    As a result, the government will keep the current measures in place for three more weeks

    New York lockdown extended until 15 May

    New York's lockdown measures will be extended until 15 May, the governor has said.
    Andrew Cuomo said that experts would determine when the state could re-open. He said the decision would not be "political" or "emotional".
    "Data and science. We're talking about human lives here," he said.
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    Post by Kitkat Thu 16 Apr 2020, 21:18

    What did we learn from today's UK briefing?

    The daily press conference was given by the first secretary of state, Dominic Raab, who is standing in for the prime minister as he continues his recovery from coronavirus.
    He was joined by the chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, and Sir Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific adviser. Here's what they told us:

    • The rate of infection in the community is now likely to be below one (meaning on average each infected person passes the virus to fewer than one other people) - but it may be higher in other settings, such as care homes
    • The UK's lockdown will continue for at least another three weeks, as the government aims to avoid a second peak in infections
    • The number of new cases is stabilising, and perhaps starting to fall. The same is true of hospital admissions. This will only continue if the public continues with social distancing
    • The government is conducting a review of whether people from non-white backgrounds are disproportionately affected by coronavirus, but it is not yet certain that this is the case
    • The public should continue to use A&E for non-coronavirus emergencies, as there is adequate capacity


    Piecing the UK exit strategy puzzle together

    Jessica Parker - BBC political correspondent
    It isn’t a surprise. But it is hugely significant for every single person in this country.
    The lockdown measures will go on for at least another three weeks.
    Ministers from devolved administrations across the UK have agreed that as a united way forward.
    The PM’s deputy, Dominic Raab, said today that we’ve sacrificed too much to ease up now.
    Ministers in Westminster have been very reluctant to talk about a future exit strategy for fear it could distract from the core "stay at home" message.
    But Mr Raab - the UK's foreign secretary - did nod to how we could, in future, see measures relaxed in some areas, while potentially strengthening them in others.
    That may not sound like a lot of detail, but it is possible to start tentatively piecing this exit strategy puzzle together.
    It’s important to say things could change as more information comes to light.
    But, as things stand, it seems that the route out of this will be staggered, gradual and cautious.
    The government’s clear and ongoing priority will be to avoid overwhelming the NHS.
    Increased testing will be an essential part of tackling the infection.
    And all of this will take place as the country, and indeed the world, waits for what appears to be the ultimate way out - a vaccine.

    France records 753 deaths, but number in intensive care falls again

    France reports another 753 fatalities in 24 hours - bringing its total death toll to 17,920.
    The country now has the fourth highest number of reported deaths from coronavirus in the world.
    Jerome Salomon, head of the public health authority, says the total number of people in intensive care units fell for the eighth day in a row to 6,248 - the lowest point since 1 April.
    The number of confirmed cases now stands at 108,847, up from 106,206 the previous day.

    New York 'closely watching' care homes, as 606 more die in state

    New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has said authorities are closely watching care homes for the elderly, which he called "the ground zero for this situation".
    Giving his daily briefing, the governor said 606 people had died on Wednesday with the coronavirus, and 2,000 new infections were detected in the state.
    Of the total, 577 people died in hospitals and 29 in elderly care homes. The daily death toll was down from 752 one day earlier.
    Cuomo said individual businesses should assess their own ability to re-open, and whether they could do so without endangering the public as the pandemic continues. But, he said, until more testing was available there was little chance life could go back to normal.
    New York state, which has about 20 million residents, conducted 500,000 tests in the previous 30 days, he said.

    Nasa: 'Mars doesn't stand still for us'

    The Nasa engineers driving the Curiosity Rover across the surface of Mars are carrying on with their jobs - even though they're working from home.
    Normally, the team use high-tech goggles to look at 3D photos of the terrain on Mars, then decide where it's safe for the rover to go.
    But the goggles don't work away from Nasa HQ.
    Now, they have started using old red-blue/green 3D glasses instead - and apparently, they work almost as well.
    You can read more about their working from home mission here.

    Putin postpones Victory Day parade

    Coronavirus - 16th April 33af5e10

    Russian President Vladimir Putin has postponed the 9 May Victory Day parade because of the coronavirus pandemic.
    The parade is held annually to commemorate the end of World War Two, with major plans for this year's event to mark the 75th anniversary.
    Plans had included 15,000 troops marching in Moscow's Red Square, along with the latest missile equipment, and it was to be attended by various world leaders.
    In an televised address to the nation, Putin said: "The risks associated with the epidemic, whose peak has not yet passed, are still extremely high".
    Earlier this week, Russian war veterans wrote to the president, asking him to postpone the event.
    Putin said it would be rearranged for later in the year with June, September and November as potential dates.

    Latest news in Europe

    Stories continue to come in due to coronavirus, with the EU apologising to Italy over the outbreak and Russia cancelling its World War Two Victory Day parade.
    Here’s the latest from Europe:

    • EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offers a “heartfelt apology” to Italy, saying “too many were not there on time" when the country "needed a helping hand”
    • The latest data from Italy on Thursday shows the country’s death toll rising past 22,000, with 525 deaths in 24 hours - compared with 578 on Wednesday
    • Russia postpones the planned Victory Day parade on 9 May to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War Two in Europe, after veterans raised fears participants could be at risk
    • Switzerland becomes the latest EU country to ease its lockdown measures, with small businesses allowed to reopen from 27 April – provided they submit a health and safety plan first
    • Social distancing remains in place in Switzerland, though, with the country reporting more than 26,000 cases and a recorded death toll of more than 1,200
    • And from next week Slovenia will launch a random testing programme of its population in a bid to see the real extent of infections - with teams visiting about 1,500 people at their homes to administer antibody tests


    Fourth 'clap for carers' coming up at 20:00 BST

    Households across the UK will be taking to their doorsteps, balconies and windows again at 20:00 BST (19:00 GMT) as they make some noise for the frontline workers fighting the coronavirus.
    It will be the fourth "clap for carers" event, as people across the country show their appreciation for all those putting their lives at risk by going to work during the crisis.
    It has become a staple for Thursday nights in lockdown, and we will bring you the best bits from around the UK as communities far and wide clap their hands, hit their pots and pans, and beep their horns for shopworkers, bus drivers, doctors and everyone in-between.

    London mayor tells city: Wear a mask if you leave home

    The Mayor of London is calling for the city's residents to wear masks or face coverings whenever they leave the house.
    UK public health advice doesn't recommend wearing masks at this stage.
    But Sadiq Khan says he lobbied the UK government's chief scientific officer, Patrick Vallance, and chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, in a meeting in Downing Street earlier, calling for the change in advice.
    He tells BBC London: “The evidence around the world is that this is effective, and I’m lobbying our government, our advisers to change their advice, and I want us to do that sooner rather than later”.

    Trump hosts awards event for truck drivers

    US President Donald Trump is holding an event at the White House to pay his respects to truck drivers.
    "In the war against the virus the truckers are the foot soldiers," the president says as he hands over "awards" - which look like gold-coloured keys - to select truckers who have been invited to speak from the White House grounds.
    "To every trucker listening over the radio or behind the wheel… I say thank God for truckers," says Trump.
    “Truckers keep our economy running - and now, in this time of national need - saving lives,” he adds.

    Three astronauts, one very different Earth

    Coronavirus - 16th April 7a247d10

    Three astronauts are due to return from the International Space Station (ISS) early on Friday, to a very different planet from the one they left last year.
    No strangers to isolation, Russian Oleg Skrypochka and Americans Jessica Meir and Andrew Morgan left Earth in 2019, well before Covid-19 emerged.
    "It's quite surreal to see it unfolding on Earth below," Ms Meir told reporters during a recent video call.
    "From here, Earth looks just as stunning as usual, so it's hard to believe all of the changes that have taken place since we left."
    The trio are scheduled to return to Earth at 05:00 GMT on Friday, by which time Mr Skrypochka and Ms Meir will have spent 205 days in space, and Mr Morgan 272 days.
    The search party that will collect the trio following their landing back on Earth - usually somewhere in Kazakhstan - have been in strict quarantine to ensure they do not pass on the virus.
    Read more here.

    How Covid-19 is hitting America's undocumented migrants

    Undocumented migrants in the US are being affected by the pandemic in countless unique ways.
    Here are a few recent developments:

    • California becomes the first state to establish a $125m (£100m) fund for illegal immigrants who do not have access to unemployment assistance, despite being forced to pay into the national fund. They also do not qualify for the $1,200 cheques being sent out by the government
    • In Chicago, around three dozen migrant children being held by the US Department of Health and Human Services test positive for Covid-19
    • Detained migrant children in Illinois and Texas also test positive, with experts saying anyone held in detention should be released to allow for social distancing opportunities
    • Central American countries appeal to the US to stop deportation flights to prevent the virus from spreading
    • Guatemala's health minister says 75% of deportees on one recent flight from the US tested positive, but Trump has threatened sanctions against any country that refuses to accept deportees
    • There are more and more reports of migrants who have died from the virus after refusing to go to hospital over fears that they would be reported to authorities


    How's the virus affecting British armed forces?

    Jonathan Beale - BBC defence correspondent
    The BBC has learned that around 13,000 military personnel - 9% of the regular British armed forces - are now working from home, or self-isolating as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
    Defence sources have told the BBC fewer than 100 military personnel have tested positive for coronavirus – but it’s not clear how many are being tested.
    The Ministry of Defence insists the pandemic has not affected its ability to support government departments and the health service, and to maintain critical defence outputs.
    The Labour Party has called on the MOD to step up testing.
    Around 3,000 of the 20,000-strong Covid Support Force have been deployed to help with a range of tasks such as the construction of temporary hospitals and the delivery of oxygen and protective equipment.

    Mayor fined for breaking social distancing rules

    A drink and a face-to-face chat are simple pleasures many people crave in these times of social distancing.
    But we all have to follow the rules, even if you are the mayor of the southern Australian state of Victoria.
    Warrnambool mayor Tony Herbert has been fined A$1,652 ($1,043, £837) for failing to comply with social-distancing rules in the coastal city.
    He was caught on camera drinking a beer while stood outside a hotel with three other people on 7 April.

    Brazil's gravediggers brace for weeks ahead

    At Vila Formosa, Latin America's biggest cemetery, workers say they are turning over more graves than usual.
    Workers at the cemetery in the Brazilian city of São Paulo say on an average day they bury about 40 people, but the weekend before last, that figure was about 60.
    "The municipality bought 5,000 body bags and they're hiring more people, too," says gravedigger Manuel Pereira. But they're bracing themselves for the weeks ahead.
    Brazil's health ministry says Covid-19 is not expected to peak in the country until May or June.
    Read more about the situation in Brazil here.

    Brazil's health minister sacked for virus response

    Brazil's health minister has been fired by the country's right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro for his response to the coronavirus pandemic.
    The pair had been at odds for weeks over their differing views on tackling the virus.
    President Bolsonaro had publicly criticised Luiz Henrique Mandetta for urging people to observe social distancing and stay indoors.
    The Brazilian leader disagreed with these measures, instead downplaying the virus as "a little flu".
    A total of 1,924 people have died with Covid-19 in Brazil, while the country has had 30,425 confirmed cases, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally.
    However, Brazil tests just under 300 people for every million inhabitants and one group of Brazilian researchers says there could be as many as 313,000 cases in Brazil.
    The situation is difficult at Vila Formosa in Sao Paulo, Latin America's biggest cemetery, where workers say they bury about 40 people per day.
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    Coronavirus - 16th April Empty Re: Coronavirus - 16th April

    Post by Kitkat Fri 17 Apr 2020, 01:32

    What's happened around the world today?

    We're now wrapping up our live page for the evening. Thanks for tuning in.
    Here's a round-up of what's happened around the world today:

    • US President Donald Trump has unveiled a plan to reopen the country
    • UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced the lockdown there will continue for at least three more weeks
    • Ninety-nine-year-old war veteran Captain Tom Moore has now raised more than £14m ($17m) and counting for the NHS.
    • EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered a "heartfelt apology" to Italy, saying "too many were not there on time" when the country "needed a helping hand"
    • France reported another 753 fatalities in 24 hours bringing its death toll to 17,920
    • Iran's number of infections rose by 1,606 to reach 77,995. The country's official death toll rose by 92 to 4,869
    • Brazil's health minister has been sacked for his response to coronavirus. President Jair Bolsonaro had been critical of Luiz Henrique Mandetta, who had urged people to observe social distancing and stay indoors
    • The Galapagos Islands, almost 1,000km off the coast of Ecuador, have confirmed 78 cases of coronavirus
    • Singapore has seen its highest daily spike with 447 new cases, bringing the total to 3,699
    • Germany has announced that schools will start to reopen from 4 May. Shops under 800 square metres can operate as long as they implement strict safety measures


    Join us again on Friday, when we'll be bringing you more updates from our teams around the world.


    Thanks from today's live page team

    Thanks for staying with us. We've been bringing you updates all day from our offices or, because of social distancing measures, from our laptops at home, from Singapore, India, the UK and the US.
    This was the team behind Thursday's live coverage: Vicky Bissett, Francis Keogh, Mary O’Connor, Joel Gunter, Michael Emons, Kevin Ponniah, Owen Amos, Anna Jones, Yvette Tan, Krutika Pathi, Tessa Wong, Sophie Williams, Matthew Henry, Paul Seddon, Jennifer Scott, Max Matza, Jessica Murphy, Doug Faulkner, Rebecca Seales, Lucy Webster, Alix Kroeger, Helier Cheung and Jude Sheerin.

      Current date/time is Fri 29 Mar 2024, 06:36