Coronavirus - 28th April

Summary for Tuesday, 28th April

• Australia says it had only 12 new cases of the virus in the past day - with just one coming from an "unknown source"
  
• More than 2.4 million people have downloaded a tracking app as the country seeks to move into a new phase
  
• The UK is to hold a one minute silence for key workers who have died with Covid-19
  
• New Zealand is now in a less severe phase of lockdown, with some non-essential activity able to resume
  
• US President Donald Trump once again censured China's handling of the virus, saying: "We are not happy with China"
  
• Nigeria will also begin a gradual easing of virus lockdowns in certain areas from 4 May
  
• Global virus cases pass 3 million, with more than 200,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University
  

Welcome to our rolling coverage of the global pandemic. We'll keep you posted as the US day ends and Asia wakes up, and we'll later focus on Europe.
Here's all you need to know so far.

• There have now been more than 3 million confirmed cases worldwide and 210,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University
  
• New Zealand has begun easing some of its lockdown measures. With new cases in single figures for several days, the government says the virus is "currently" eliminated
  
• Japan's coronavirus hotspot Tokyo had only 39 new cases on Monday, the fewest in weeks
  
• US President Donald Trump says he "can't imagine why" states have seen a spike in people using disinfectant, after he suggested injecting the substance to treat coronavirus
  
• US states including Georgia, Oklahoma, Alaska and South Carolina are re-opening their economies, despite infections continuing to rise
  

• The UK is at "the moment of maximum risk", Prime Minister Boris Johnson said - adding that lockdown rules will remain in place for now
  

What's happening in Australia?

Good morning from Sydney, where isolation rules will be relaxed from the end of the week to allow households to have two visitors at a time.
Close to half of Australia’s cases have been recorded in New South Wales, where Sydney is. But with the state now reporting just single-digit daily increases, officials say visits can be made for mental health and social reasons – meaning people will be able to visit family and friends again.
Other states, including Queensland and Western Australia, are also easing restrictions this week, reflecting a general optimism about Australia’s situation.
Sparking delight this morning was the re-opening of Bondi Beach and two neighbouring beaches. Swimmers were there from dawn to dive into the ocean after a five-week ban.

Australia hits back at China’s ‘coercion’

Tensions between China and Australia continue to escalate, following calls from Canberra last week for an international investigation into Beijing’s response to the virus.
Yesterday, Beijing’s ambassador to Australia said Australia's demands could trigger a boycott from Chinese consumers, students and tourists.
Given China is Australia’s biggest trading partner, the comments have been received here as a threat and have sparked anger.
Trade Minister Simon Birmingham told media this morning: “We won’t be changing our public policy situation on the face of such a serious public health matter in the face of any threats of coercion from any other nation.”

Where are the 3m cases?

Now confirmed cases have exceeded 3 million worldwide, here are the countries with the most cases. It's important to remember that high numbers of confirmed cases are partly a reflection of widespread testing.

• US: 988,189
  
• Spain: 229,422
  
• Italy: 199,414
  
• France: 165,963
  
• Germany: 158,758
  

Full data from Johns Hopkins University here.

New Zealand eases lockdown

On Tuesday, New Zealand began to gradually emerge from its tight lockdown. The country says it has stopped community transmission of Covid-19, effectively eliminating the virus.
Lowering its alert level from four to three means that some non-essential business, healthcare and schools were able to resume this morning.
Around 400,000 people headed back to work, some schools and childcare facilities are open, and people are allowed to get takeout food again.
New Zealand, partly thanks to its isolation and easily-closed borders, managed to contain the virus early on.
It has reported fewer than 1,500 confirmed or probable cases of coronavirus and 19 deaths have been linked to it.

Tokyo 2020...2021...2022?

The head of the Japan Medical Association has warned it will be "difficult" for the Olympics to go ahead next year, unless there is a virus vaccine.
"I am not saying that Japan should or shouldn't host the Olympics, but that it would be difficult to do so," Yoshitake Yokokura said.
The games have already been postponed from this year to 2021, but experts have cast doubt on whether even the new date is feasible.
Earlier this month, the chief of the Tokyo Games said he couldn't guarantee the games would go ahead next year.

Will climate replace virus as Australia's priority?

Simon Atkinson - BBC News, Sydney
It seems a lifetime ago. But it’s just a few months since the biggest story in Australia - and for a few days the world - was the bushfires that burned so fiercely here.
It followed a long drought, and the role of climate change was heavily debated. Protests were growing louder, as more Australians demanded their leaders do much more to cut carbon emissions.
I was convinced 2020 was the year climate was going to be top of the news agenda here.
Even the Prime Minster Scott Morrison - who famously wielded a lump of coal in parliament extolling the virtues of the black stuff - was shifting his tone, accepting that climate change was real and had played a part in the fires.
Of course, this year has not panned out quite like anyone expected. Trying to keep people healthy - physically, emotionally and economically - has been the priority here.
But scientists say that rather than losing momentum because of the virus, this is a great opportunity to put innovations around solar, wind and hydroelectric projects front and centre, as Australia looks for ways to revive its economy.
And as one economist told me: with Australia doing very well in handling the pandemic, the government has “the headspace” to make policy reforms that include its energy strategy.
Read more from Simon here.

What it means: NZ's slightly less strict lockdown

Here's what's changing in New Zealand, now the country has shifted one notch down from its highest alert level.

• People still have to stay in what's called their "household bubble", but they can expand that bubble now: to meet close family, caregivers, or support isolated people
  
• People should work from home where possible but businesses are allowed to open if they can provide contactless service
  

• Restaurants can now do "contactless" takeaway
  

• For recreational activities, you are allowed to drive short distances, and people have headed to parks and beaches this morning. You're allowed to do this with people from your household bubble
  
• Schools can reopen but have to ensure social distancing
  

• Mass gatherings will remain cancelled, and public venues closed
  

New Zealand 'not out of the woods' yet

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has warned that despite the gradual lifting of the lockdown, New Zealand was not "out of the woods".
She described the coming weeks under alert level 3 as "a recovery room of sorts".
She urged people to continue to stay at home, and work from home where possible, warning that "no one wants a second wave" of the pandemic.
New Zealand has reported three new positive tests, and no fatalities.

What's the latest from India?

Good morning to those tuning in from India. Here's what you need to know this morning:

• Most states would like some form of lockdown to continue after 3 May, chief ministers told PM Narendra Modi on Monday
  
• India has asked states using rapid antibody testing kits from two Chinese firms to return them to suppliers, saying the test results showed too many variations to be reliable
  
• Various states are gearing up to bring back migrant workers stranded in other cities. Odisha and Rajasthan became the latest two to announce that they will release guidelines
  
• The capital Delhi saw 190 new infections on Monday, taking the total to beyond 3,000. India now has reported nearly 28,000 cases and 934 deaths, according to health ministry data
  
• A total of 85 districts across more than 20 states have not reported any new infections in the last two weeks, officials said on Monday. The government has also said that five out of eight states in India's northeast have no Covid-19 cases
  
  

The 'mystery' of India's low Covid-19 death rates

Soutik Biswas - India Correspondent
The global media reports are a mixture of relief and bafflement.
They talk about the "mystery behind India's lower death rates" from the Covid-19 infection, and say that India is "bucking the coronavirus trend". One talks about the "Indian exception" as death rates in major Indian cities are lower compared to "global coronavirus hotspots".
Nearly two months after its first recorded case, Covid-19 infections in the world's second most populous country have passed 27,000, with more than 800 deaths.
Experts point to a few possibilities behind India's low death rate - an early yet grinding lockdown as well as a predominantly young population.
Some have even suggested the presence of a less virulent strain - this claim is not backed by any evidence.
But is India an outlier when it comes to novel coronavirus fatalities?
Read the full piece here

Is Singapore on the brink of being 'overwhelmed'?

Yvette Tan
Singapore
Once seen as a model of Covid-19 response, Singapore is now battling a second wave of the virus with over 14,000 cases in total. But the question being asked here is - is the government doing enough testing?
The majority of Singapore's cases have been linked to migrant workers who live in cramped dormitories, shared by up to 17 people. Up to 12 dormitories have now been marked as isolation zones, and thousands of workers inside have been quarantined.
But Alex Au of migrant rights group Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), said not enough testing was being done, adding that it was "unclear" who would get tested and who wouldn't.
"We're hearing reports that workers who are running a fever are not seen by doctors for several hours or up to a day - they're just told to take paracetamol and monitor," he told the BBC.
"In another case, a man who had a 39 degree fever had a doctor treating him. So who gets tested and who doesn't is very unclear.
"I suspect it is an indication that maybe testing capacity is under strain, so they're picking and choosing who they test. I can't say for certain but I suspect we're on the brink of an overwhelmed healthcare system."
Singapore's health minister said the rate of testing had not slowed down, and that around 3,000 workers a day were being tested.
Gan Kim Yong said that 21,000 workers - or 1 in 15 - in dorms have already been tested.
"This is far higher than the testing rates seen in other countries like Korea, which is one in 90, as well as other countries like the United States, United Kingdom, or even Hong Kong,” Mr Gan said.

Hong Kong civil servants return to work

Hong Kong civil servants will gradually head back to work from Monday 4 May, the government said on Tuesday.
For the second day, there were no new virus infections and the city is looking for a way out of the lockdown.
Sports facilities, libraries and museums will open from Monday but the ban on meetings of more than four people will remain in place.
As an international business and finance hub, Hong Kong has been severely hit by the economic fallout of the global pandemic, but has managed to contain the spread of the virus.
Hong Kong has just over 1,000 confirmed cases and four fatalities linked to Covid-19.

Some 'return to normality' at Bondi Beach

Frances Mao - Sydney
As we reported earlier, people are able to now dive back into the surf at Sydney's Bondi Beach - and despite the grey weather today, hundreds returned.
“It was great, a bit of return to normality,” said Eamonn Clarke, who had a quick dip in the ocean this morning. “Bondi without the beach doesn’t resemble anything like it should.”
He told the BBC it’d been an “eerie” sight the past month seeing the vast stretch of sand and water every day with no one on it. Locals appeared happier this morning - there was “a positive vibe” around.
Bondi and its neighbouring beaches were shut in early March when Australia’s numbers spiked, and the tourist hub emerged as a hotspot for new infections.
However a month of strict social distancing rules has flattened the virus curve across the country.
On Tuesday, council guards still patrolled the surf and people had to follow a red-tape marked path to the water before leaving through designated exits.
No activities on the sand are allowed - and the beach will remain closed on weekends to avoid big crowds.

Trump is 'not happy with China'

US President Donald Trump has told reporters he is not happy with China, saying he thinks it could have stopped coronavirus at the source.
"Nobody except one country can be held accountable for what happened," Trump said.
China has repeatedly denied that it wasn't transparent about the outbreak in its early stages in December and January.

Oil slumps as storage capacity fills up

Oil prices have slumped again, due to worries about limited capacity to store crude - and expectations that demand may only recover slowly.
US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) slumped by as much as 16% after plunging 25% on Monday. Brent crude was also lower but not by as much.
Traders are concerned that there is nowhere to store all the oil that is not being used because of the drop in global economic activity.

Bangladesh garment workers begin work again

Thousands of textile workers returned to factories in Bangladesh on Monday. The country is still under lockdown, but some factories, including in the capital Dhaka, opened under pressure to complete outstanding export orders.
With the garment sector badly hit by cancellations due to the pandemic, the country is expected to lose export revenue of about $6bn (£4.8bn).
But the move to start production again has prompted fears of creating Covid-19 clusters. Bangladesh currently has more than 5,900 confirmed cases and 152 deaths.
Here's more news from the rest of South Asia:

• More than 50 police officers in Pakistan's Karachi have tested positive for the virus, a local report says. Cases in the country rose to more than 13,000 on Monday
  
• Nepal's National Human Rights Commission has urged the government to conduct a survey of citizens stranded in foreign countries. The Himalayan nation also extended its lockdown to 7 May as cases crossed 50
  
• More than 100 people stranded in India's Kerala and Tamil Nadu states returned to Sri Lanka via a special flight. Officials said more than 1,000 Sri Lankan students are studying across India and will be evacuated in phases
  

Australia records only one case from unknown source

In the past day, Australia recorded just one case of the virus from an unknown source, and 12 cases overall.
Health Minister Greg Hunt described the single community transmission case as "perhaps the most important figure".
"It means that as a country we are not just flattening the curve, but we are consolidating it, extending it and securing it," he said.
Australia has recorded around 6,700 cases and 85 deaths. But only 100 cases have appeared in the past week amid extensive testing.
With new, daily infections growing by less than 1% for a third consecutive week - compared to 25% increases a month ago - authorities have begun to relax some restrictions.
The government has also urged citizens to download a tracing app. Already 2.4 million people had downloaded it since its release on Sunday.

More than 2,000 unreported deaths in Indonesia?

Many countries in the developing world have low official infection rates or death tolls - but the actual numbers are believed to be much higher.
Indonesia is case in point. Research by Reuters suggests more than 2,200 people in the country have died with virus symptoms but are not counted in the official statistics.
Indonesia has fewer than 10,000 confirmed cases and 765 official deaths. The country's very low testing rate has observers worried that those tallies are significantly higher.

What's the latest from the UK?

If you're just joining us, here are some of the biggest developments:

• A BBC investigation has found that the UK government failed to buy crucial protective equipment to cope with a pandemic. There were no gowns, visors, swabs or body bags in the government's pandemic stockpile when Covid-19 reached the UK
  
• A minute's silence will be held across the UK today to commemorate the key workers who have died with coronavirus. More than 100 NHS and care staff have died with the virus, as have many transport and other key workers
  
• Adults at home during the coronavirus lockdown, including millions furloughed from their jobs, are being offered free online courses in digital skills
  
• The UK's oil and gas industry is warning that 30,000 jobs could be lost as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and the low oil price
  
• People have reverted back to shopping the way they did a decade ago by making one big weekly trip to the supermarket, according to the boss of Tesco. Chief executive Dave Lewis said Covid-19 social distancing measures mean consumers are shopping less frequently.
  

Sports round-up: Premier League eyes 8 June

• Plans to resume the Premier League season will step up this week in what has been labelled "Project Restart". Clubs' training grounds have already opened with a view to restarting the league on 8 June
  
• The England and Wales Cricket Board should consider temporarily scrapping overseas players in the County Championship to cut costs, says former England captain Michael Vaughan
  
• England's Ellis Genge says it is time to "shake up the rugby scene" after confirming plans to set up a new union, designed to provide elite players with improved commercial and legal advice. He feels players were "poorly advised" over measures taken by clubs as a result of Covid-19.
  

California urges people to stay off beaches

As beaches in Australia and New Zealand slowly open up again, California is threatening to step up its lockdown.
Most beaches in California are closed because of the pandemic, but a handful of areas have allowed visitors - with certain restrictions.
Over the weekend, many locals flocked to the beaches - raising alarm bells with officials who plan to lift gradually the stay-at-home orders.
"The virus doesn't take the weekend off because it's a beautiful sunny day around our coasts," Governor Gavin Newsom said.
He warned that such behaviour would threaten the plans to ease the lockdown.
"The only thing that can stop that is more images like we saw this weekend."

Germany's infection rate back on the rise

Last week, Germany was optimistic it was on the path out of lockdown. And a handful of measures were lifted, with small shops allowed to reopen and some students returning to class.
But on Tuesday, officials warned the infection rate was increasing - and was now at 1 again.
This means 10 infected people will infect another 10 people. Last week, the rate had dropped to 0.7, meaning ten infected would pass the virus to only seven people.
In order to beat the pandemic, the infection rate has to be below 1.
In the past day, Germany recorded 1,144 new infections and 163 new deaths.

Botswana extends lockdown

Botswana's President Mokgweetsi Masisi has announced a one-week extension of the nationwide lockdown that was due to end on 30 April.
Botswana has 22 confirmed cases of the virus and one death. It has been on a month-long lockdown.

• Coronavirus: Why lockdowns may not be the answer in Africa
  

UK to hold minute's silence for key workers who died

A minute's silence will be held across the UK later to commemorate the key workers who have died with coronavirus.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who returned to work on Monday, will join the tribute, which starts at 11:00 BST.
More than 100 NHS and care staff have died with the virus, as have many transport and other key workers.
NHS England medical director Stephen Powis said he hoped "the whole nation" would show how much their "contribution is remembered and appreciated".
Chief nursing officer Ruth May added: "Every death is a tragedy but we feel the loss of fellow health and care workers particularly keenly."
Read more here

'She tried to do her job and it killed her'

A top New York City doctor who was on the front line of the US fight against coronavirus has taken her own life.
Dr Lorna Breen, who was a medical director of the emergency department at New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital in Manhattan, was described as a "hero" for her work.
The 49-year-old's father, Dr Philip Breen, told the New York Times: "She was truly in the trenches on the front line.
"Make sure she's praised as a hero. She's a casualty just as much as anyone else who has died."
He added: "She tried to do her job and it killed her."
Read more here.

'No Tokyo Olympics if coronavirus is not controlled'

There will be no Tokyo Olympics if the Covid-19 outbreak is not brought under control by next year, the president of the Games' organising committee has said.
The Games was scheduled for this summer but postponed by a year because of the pandemic.
Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori said that another delay was not under consideration, telling Japan's Nikkan Sports daily that if the virus outbreak was not under control by summer 2021, "it's cancelled".
Yoshitake Yokokura, the head of the Japan Medical Association, said it would be "difficult" to hold the Games if there was no effective vaccine available.

Indian state constructs wall to curb Covid-19 spread

A district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has constructed walls to seal the border with its neighbouring state, Andhra Pradesh, amid fears over the spread of Covid-19.
The walls, measuring about 5ft tall, were erected at two entry and exit points along the border on Sunday to prevent car traffic between Tamil Nadu's Vellore district and Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district.
An official from Vellore district said that the move was meant to check the entry of migrant workers who sometimes enter the state without valid permission.
"Since the chances of getting detected at the main border crossing is high, some people tend to use little-noticed locations in remote places," the official told PTI news agency.
But some authorities have told local media that it is a "temporary measure" to keep tabs on the flow of vehicular traffic between the two states.

Australian tracing app gets 2.4 million registrations

Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt told reporters on Tuesday that 2.4 million people had downloaded and registered for the government's coronavirus contact tracing app.
The COVIDSafe smartphone app uses a Bluetooth wireless signal to exchange a "digital handshake" with another user when they come within 1.5m (4.9ft). The app then logs this contact and encrypts it.
Users will be notified if they have had more than 15 minutes of close contact with another user who tests positive.
Mr Hunt said 6,727 cases of coronavirus had been confirmed in Australia, along with 85 deaths.
Twelve cases had been confirmed since yesterday, just one from an unknown source, he said.
"That is perhaps the most important figure I have had the privilege of raising since coming into this role and dealing with the coronavirus issue," Mr Hunt said. "It means that as a country we are not just flattening the curve but we are consolidating it, extending it and securing it."
The UK is trialling is own tracing app, with development led by NHSX - the heath service's in-house digital team.

HSBC profits halved amid pandemic impact

HSBC has said its first quarter profit almost halved on the same period last year, as the bank feels the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Pre-tax profit for the period came in at $3.2bn (£2.6bn), down from $6.2bn for the first quarter of 2019.
At the same time, the bank increased its expectations of bad loans to $3bn due to the fallout from Covid-19 and an unprecedented oil prices slump.
Read more here

Key PPE was not in UK stockpile despite warning

The UK government failed to buy crucial protective equipment needed to be prepared for a pandemic, according to an investigation by the BBC's Panorama programme.
The BBC found there were no gowns, visors, swabs or body bags in the stockpile when the virus reached the UK.
The stockpile - there to be used in the event of a pandemic - was set up in 2009, but the government subsequently ignored a warning from its own advisers to purchase missing equipment.
NHS staff have said they are being put at risk because of the shortage of personal protective equipment - known as PPE.
Government minister Victoria Atkins told BBC Breakfast on Tuesday she was "very very sorry" to hear about the Panorama report.
"Like every other country in the world, [the virus] is unprecedented and the requirements for PPE have increased exponentially. We're doing our absolute best to address those needs and will continue to do so," she said.
Atkins said "a billion pieces of PPE" had been distributed across the UK since the virus arrived.
Panorama also found the government had downgraded its guidance on PPE in March, and on the same day took steps to remove Covid-19 from the High Consequence Infectious Disease list.
A government spokesperson said Covid-19 was taken off the list because it has a low overall mortality rate and there is now greater clinical awareness and a specific laboratory test for the virus.
You can read more on the investigation here, or watch the full Panorama programme here.

New Zealanders get their coffees back

Coffee and fast food. Those were the two things New Zealanders rushed for as the country emerged from almost five weeks of strict lockdown.
Long queues were seen in front of McDonalds chains, with one local saying he'd started queuing at four in the morning. And on social media, people were posting pictures of cups of coffee in celebration.
"That cup of coffee tasted amazing. Nothing beats a skilled barista," one coffee lover told the BBC.
New Zealand has now shifted its alert level down a notch to level three - meaning restaurants are allowed to resume takeaways and thousands of people can go back to work.
The country has some five million residents and just over 1,000 confirmed virus cases. So what exactly did it do right?
A combination of contact tracing, a quick lockdown, the closing of borders and a clear public message, says one expert.
Read more about how New Zealand got its coffees back so quickly

Oxford University 'leaps ahead' in Covid-19 vaccine race

Could there be millions of doses of a Covid-19 vaccine available by September?
It seems significantly earlier than we had been cautioned to expect, but the Oxford University's Jenner Insititute believes it has produced an effective vaccine, and plans to carry out clinical tests on 6,000 people before the end of May.
The Jenner vaccine was tested on six rhesus macaque monkeys at the US National Institutes of Health’s Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Montana last month, according to the New York Times.
The monkeys were exposed to high doses of the virus, and all six remained healthy 28 days later. Monkeys without the vaccine fell sick, according to the report.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which is funding nine different coronavirus vaccine projects, is hopeful a vaccine could be ready this year, Bloomberg reports.
CEPI had initially envisaged a later timescale because it had not taken factors into account such as companies working together.

Mumbai police aged over 55 told to stay home

Police in the Indian city of Mumbai have been told to stay at home if they're older than 55, after three officers died of Covid-19.
Officials said that the older policemen would stay at home until the lockdown ended on 3 May.
On Monday, a 56-year-old policeman in the city died while undergoing Covid-19 treatment, according to local media reports.
Mumbai is in the western state of Maharashtra, which has seen the highest number of cases in India. More than 500 new infections in the state were reported on Tuesday, according to health ministry data. That brought the total number of confirmed cases in Maharashtra to more than 8,500.

Sheltering abandoned pets during lockdown

Animal shelters in several countries have reported a surge in requests to foster an animal during the coronavirus pandemic, as families look to give a temporary home for unwanted pets.
For some facilities this is welcome news as they struggle with a smaller workforce or being forced to close, though some UK-based charities have suspended fostering.

France lays out exit plan - Europe update

French medical staff dance outside a hospital in Nice

France lays out its lockdown exit plan and Germany’s infection rate rises. Here’s the latest from Europe:

• Prime Minister Edouard Philippe will lay out how France will slowly exit its lockdown restrictions from 11 May. There will be a debate followed by a vote on the plans, which controversially involve children returning to school against the advice of the national scientific council
  
• Official data from Germany’s Robert Koch Institute shows the reproduction figure has risen to around 1.0 again – meaning each infected person is passing on the virus to one other. Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned states not to ease restrictions too quickly, as both confirmed cases and the death toll move higher
  
• Both Spain and Greece will announce further ways of easing restrictions on Tuesday. Portugal’s government is holding a closed-door meeting with health officials, and has said the discussions are key in any move toward loosening the lockdown
  

Trump 'can't imagine why' US disinfectant calls spiked

President Donald Trump has said he "can't imagine why" there has been a spike in calls about disinfectant to US emergency hotlines.
The country's commander-in-chief suggested last Thursday that health officials should look into injecting disinfectants to treat coronavirus - a shocking idea that public health officials immediately warned the public not to do.
Trump later claimed his comments were a sarcastic prank on reporters, but he had clearly addressed the remarks to the health officials present.
The governors of Michigan and Maryland on Sunday blamed the president for the increase in volume about such calls.
When asked whether he took responsibility for the rise, Trump said: "No, I don't."
Trump's remarks were widely criticised by doctors. Manufacturers of cleaning brands such as Dettol warned consumers never to ingest their products.
Read more here

China under scrutiny after arresting activists

Human Rights Watch has called on China to release two activists who were arrested after contributing to a website that archived coronavirus information censored by the government.
Chen Mei and Cai Wei reportedly contributed to a website called Terminus 2049, where users could share reports and social media posts removed by government censors. They were detained along with Mr Cai's girlfriend, the Reuters news agency reported.
“The lack of free flow of information about Covid-19 in China has contributed to a global pandemic,” said Human Rights Watch researcher Yaqiu Wang. “Governments around the world should press Beijing to release the wrongfully detained activists and citizen journalists immediately.”
Several journalists and activists have gone missing in China since the outbreak began. Last week, a Chinese journalist detained in Wuhan reappeared after being missing for two months. Two others have not been heard from since the beginning of this year.

Rising UK care home deaths leads to record week

A rising number of deaths linked to coronavirus in care homes in England and Wales has pushed the weekly death toll to a record high.
New figures from the Office for National Statistics show there were 2,000 coronavirus care home deaths in the week ending 17 April - double the previous week.
Projections for the following week - up to last Friday - suggest it rose again.
The total number of deaths in the week ending 17 April was more than 22,000 - the highest since records began in 1993 and double the number of deaths you would normally expect at this time of the year.
Read more here.

Spanish death toll continues to fall

Spain's recorded 301 new deaths with coronavirus in 24 hours - down from Monday's figure of 331. The national total now stands at 23,822.
The number of confirmed cases rose by 1,308, bringing the country's total to 210,773.
Spain is one of the worst-affected countries in Europe but on Sunday it reported its lowest daily death toll in more than a month.
As restrictions begin to ease, children under the age of 14 have been allowed to leave their homes for the first time in six weeks.

BP reports two-thirds fall in earnings

Oil giant BP has reported that its earnings fell by 66% in the first three months of this year, as the industry grapples with coronavirus's impact on energy markets.
Underlying cost replacement profits - the company's definition of income - came to $800m, down from $2.4bn during the same period last year.
BP blamed the losses on tumbling energy prices, a drop in demand for fuels and refined products, and weak earnings from its oil trading arm and its stake in Russian state-owned energy firm Rosneft.
“Our industry has been hit by supply and demand shocks on a scale never seen before,” said Bernard Looney, who has been chief executive since February.
Oil prices remain depressed. The international benchmark Brent crude currently costs about $19 a barrel, down from around $70 in early January. US oil is trading at just $11 a barrel.

UK holds minute's silence for keyworkers

A minute's silence will be held shortly, at 11:00, across the UK to remember key workers who have died in the coronavirus pandemic.
More than 100 NHS workers and care home staff have now died with the virus, as have transport staff and other key workers.
See more here

BBC identifies 114 health worker deaths linked to Covid-19

Analysis by BBC News has identified 114 health worker deaths linked to the coronavirus.
Additional analysis found credible reports for the deaths of 16 social care workers across the UK.
According to Health Secretary Matt Hancock, 82 NHS workers and 16 social care workers have died from Covid-19 in England.
Our analysis of 114 reported health worker deaths records that 59 of those who died were male, 54 female.
In England we have recorded 100 deaths; in Scotland four deaths; in Wales nine deaths. To date, we have not recorded any health worker deaths in Northern Ireland.
BAME - Black, Asian, and minority ethnic - staff account for 70 deaths, where we have been able to establish ethnicity.
Within BAME deaths, 26 are reportedly from Black backgrounds; 21 from South Asian backgrounds; 19 from East Asian backgrounds, of which 14 Filipino; and four from Arabic backgrounds.
Of the doctors who we believe were working in a hospital environment all 17 are BAME and male, with almost all over 50.
Medical staff account for 24 deaths; nursing and midwifery 39 deaths; allied occupations 51 deaths.
It is unclear how many contracted the virus in the course of their work in the health sector.
Separate analysis by Health Service Journal suggests that the rate of death is “largely consistent with the number of healthcare workers in the population.”
The BBC News analysis is based on deaths reported in the public domain where we have been able to establish their occupation as being medical or other occupations in a health setting - including pharmacists, hospital porters, paramedics and other roles.

Johnson and Starmer observe minute's silence

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson observed a minute’s silence for key workers, from No 10 Downing Street.
Alongside Johnson were Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill and Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the main opposition Labour Party, also paid his respects.

Austria further relaxes lockdown

Bethany Bell - BBC News, Vienna
Austria has announced further steps to relax its lockdown.
As of 1 May, events with groups of up to 10 people will be allowed, although people will be asked to stay a metre apart.
The recommendations to stay at home except for a few key reasons expire on 30 April and will not be renewed.
However working from home is still encouraged. Hotels will be allowed to reopen on 29 May, if all goes well.
Small shops have already reopened, with all shops to follow from 1 May. Restaurants and cafes are set to restart business on 15 May.
Austria, which imposed a lockdown early on its outbreak, has reported around 15,000 cases of coronavirus, with 569 deaths.

BBC Radio 5 Live focuses on wellbeing during lockdown

How are you coping during lockdown? Throughout the day, BBC Radio 5 Live is focusing on how people can look after their own wellbeing, and how to help other people, as part of #WellbeingLive.
What has worked for you? Text 85058 | @BBC5Live
Click here for live coverage and tips.

One in seven UK mortgages on payment break

One in every seven UK mortgages is currently subject to a payment holiday amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to new figures from trade association UK Finance.
As of Friday 24 April, lenders had granted more than 1.6m mortgage payment holidays.
The holiday scheme, introduced for some homeowners, was one of the schemes introduced by the UK government to ease the financial burden of the lockdown.

Total UK deaths see sharp rise

Nearly 25,000 deaths from all causes were recorded in the UK in week of the Easter bank holiday - 108% above the expected number for this time of year.
The figure of 24,686 was a further rise on last week's figure of 20,929 deaths, which itself was 76% above normal.
The figures for England, Wales and Northern Ireland are for the week 11-17 April, while the figures for Scotland are for the week 13-19 April.

The Uber driver who spent his last days alone

Rajesh Jayaseelan worked for years as an Uber driver in London - a city he loved and would often describe to his wife back in Bangalore, India.
But when Rajesh fell sick with coronavirus, his landlord evicted him and he was forced to sleep in his car. When he found another room to move into, the landlord told him to pay £4,000 ($5,000) up front.
Rajesh spent his final days in alone, terrified of being evicted again. When he found himself struggling to breathe, he went to hospital, where he died on 11 April.
His story highlights the disproportionate impact this pandemic is having on people in insecure work and housing. The BBC spoke to his widow, Mary, and his friend Sunil. Read more here.

The castle protecting its elderly residents

King's Castle has stood guard protecting the residents of Ardglass, Northern Ireland, for centuries.
Now a private nursing home, it is free from coronavirus after it was closed down to all visitors before Mother's Day, almost a fortnight before the Department of Health issued guidance to all care homes to ban visitors.

Call for action over UK care home deaths

The opposition Labour Party is calling on the UK government to take further action to prevent deaths in care homes, after new figures published this morning showed a steep rise in England and Wales.
The party's social care spokeswoman, Liz Kendall, wants ministers to appoint a "Chief Care Officer" specifically for the sector.
In a letter to Health Secretary Matt Hancock, she said the role would help give it the "national leadership, focus and attention" it deserves.
The party also wants a guarantee of protective kit for carers who assist people in their homes, as well as for care home staff.

Malaysian official fined for attending meal

Singapore admits current coronavirus figures may not tell the whole story, while a Malaysian minister falls foul of his own government's rules. Here is the latest from Asia:

• Malaysia's deputy health minister has been fined for violating the country's movement control order. Noor Azmi Ghazali has to pay $325 (£260) after a picture of him enjoying a meal at an Islamic school was uploaded to social media. Malaysia has introduced tough restrictions - and penalties - to stop the spread of the virus. Thousands have been prosecuted
  
• More than 2,200 Indonesians who were not recorded as having died with Covid-19 had acute symptoms of the disease, an investigation by Reuters news agency has found. Indonesia has recorded 765 deaths so far, but medical experts believe the figure is much higher
  
• The number of migrant workers infected with coronavirus in Singapore may be higher than current figures suggest, the director of medical services for the health ministry has said. The island nation currently has 15,000 confirmed cases - many of which are linked to the dormitories where many foreign workers live. However, Kenneth Mak said the numbers would eventually become clear, as each worker was being tested before they were allowed out of isolation
  

Scottish government recommends face coverings

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has unveiled new guidance by the Scottish government, saying people should cover their faces when outdoors.
Ms Sturgeon said residents should use a cloth covering when on public transport or in other settings where social distancing will be difficult.
She said it would not be mandatory or enforced at this stage but would be kept under review.
More than 10,700 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Scotland, an increase of 200 from yesterday.
A further 70 people with coronavirus have died, taking the total to 1,332 deaths in Scotland.

Getting ready to socialise again in Australia

Shaimaa Khalil - BBC News, Sydney
I woke up this morning to a message from one of my friends: “Iftar [breaking of the fast] at our place this Saturday?”
I didn’t quite understand until I read the attached screen grab. It was the government of New South Wales announcing a relative easing of social distancing restrictions.
Starting Friday, each household will be allowed two adult visitors with children. With a significant decline in new cases here, officials have said rules have been eased for mental health and social reasons.
This could not have come at a better time for our household - it’s the first week of Ramadan when people normally gather to break their fast.
Until now, that was not an option for me and my husband. But now, for the first time in more than five weeks, we’re making weekend plans to visit a couple of friends.
It’s all very exciting. I do hope I still remember my table manners!

'Vilified' Indian Muslims donate blood for plasma therapy

Zubair Ahmed - BBC News, Hindi

The Muslim congregation has been traced to hundreds of positive cases

Members of an Indian Islamic organisation are volunteering to donate blood for plasma therapy after their congregation sparked dozens of Covid-19 clusters across the country.
More than 1,000 positive cases were linked to an event organised by the Tablighi Jamaat in the capital Delhi in March.
The incident caused massive outrage and led to reports of Islamophobia from across the country.
One donor, Farooq Basa, told the BBC: "The media had demonised us after some of us had tested positive for the virus. But by the grace of Allah this will help improve our image."
Plasma therapy involves transfusing antibody-rich blood into Covid-19 patients. However, it is still in a trial stage in many countries including India.
Read the full story here

New record for Russian infections

Officially the total of new coronavirus infections in Russia has overtaken the totals for China and Iran.
On Tuesday the Russian government reported a record daily rise in new cases – 6,411 – bringing the total to 93,558. Moscow has the most cases, compared with other Russian regions.
The number of deaths rose to 867.
Deaths are still far below those for the worst-hit countries, such as the US and Italy, but Russia’s numbers are rising daily.
Some medics do not believe the official data and are naming fellow medics they say have died from Covid-19. The list – 72 names so far – is posted on Facebook by Dr Vladimir Budiansky.
And an opposition website, Open Media, reports that dozens of nurses have quit a Moscow hospital – Kommunarka – where allegedly they were underpaid and lacking necessary protective kit. The management disputes their claims.

Are we past the peak of viral WhatsApp misinformation?

Marianna Spring - Disinformation and social media reporter


WhatsApp has been key to the spread of misinformation during the pandemic.
People have been forwarding dubious medical advice or wild speculation to friends and relatives, often “just in case” such messages are true.
But it seems like we may have passed the first peak of viral WhatsApp misinformation, with the Facebook-owned network saying it has seen a drop of 70% in "highly forwarded" messages.
Those are exactly the kind that spread viral misinformation.
The decrease is explained in part by changes made by WhatsApp to stop highly forwarded messages being posted to more than one chat group at a time.
But we might have seen a decline regardless.
When messages tell you – to take just one example – that tanks are on the streets of Britain, but no such scenes are visible from your window, you start to think twice about messages forwarded “from a friend of a friend” online.

Scotland to test all over 70s admitted to hospital

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced that over 70s will now be tested for Covid-19 on admission to hospital. They will also be tested every four days throughout their stay.
The first minister said the tests would help show the extent to which the virus is being transmitted within hospitals.
She said that by the end of the month, overall testing capacity in Scotland will have reached 3,500 a day - a 10-fold increase from the start of the outbreak.
Sturgeon said 20,000 health and social care workers, along with their family members, have already been tested.

Dutch announce small virus increase

The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Netherlands rose by only 171 to 38,416 Tuesday, with 48 new deaths recorded.
The official national death toll now stands at 4,566 in total, the Netherlands' Institute for Public Health (RIVM) said in its daily update - cautioning it only reports confirmed cases.

Doctor's son asks Hancock for public apology

The son of an NHS doctor who died with coronavirus has called on Health Secretary Matt Hancock to say sorry for mistakes in the UK government's response.
Intisar Chowdhury, 18, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme a public apology would help improve public trust.
Intisar's father Dr Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, 53, warned about a lack of protection before he died.
Mr Hancock later told LBC that listening to front-line staff would help the government improve. He added that he did not want to "play down" the efforts of those working to get personal protective equipment (PPE) to the front line.

Intisar Chowdhury said he wanted Matt Hancock to acknowledge mistakes have been made

Government confirms fly-past for Captain Tom's 100th

Captain Tom Moore, who raised a remarkable £29m for the NHS by walking laps of his garden, will be honoured with an RAF fly-past on Thursday to mark his 100th birthday.
After it was reported that the government had rejected a Spitfire fly-past for the 99-year-old, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps responded on Twitter to declare another had been planned although it was "meant to be a surprise for Tom".
Captain Tom was originally planning to mark his landmark birthday with a family party but the celebrations have been put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Portugal to end state of emergency

President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has announced that Portugal's state of emergency will end on Sunday 2 May.
However, speaking Tuesday, he cautioned this was not the end of the national outbreak and stressed that reopening of the economy would be a slow and gradual process.
"What matters in this new phase is that the Portuguese know that containment remains important so we must take small steps and constantly evaluate (the situation)," he said at a news conference.
Portugal has recorded 24,322 coronavirus cases and 948 deaths.
A state of emergency has been in place since 18 March, with people told to stay home and travel restricted.

Rate of London Covid-19 deaths set to exceed Blitz

Reality Check
Chris Morris and Oliver Barnes, Reality Check

The number of people killed by Covid-19 in London in the four weeks to 17 April has now narrowly surpassed the number of civilians killed during the worst four-week period of aerial bombing of the city during the Blitz in the Second World War.
Figures held in the National Archives, and collated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, show that 4,677 people were killed during the Blitz and buried in London cemeteries in the 28 days to 4 October, 1940.
Deaths in London attributed to Covid-19, in the four weeks to 17 April this year, have now reached 4,697 according to a BBC count based on data from the Office for National Statistics.
The first of those four weeks - the week ending 27 March - came before the sharp rise in Covid-19 deaths took place. So figures released next week are expected to show a four-week tally higher than that recorded during the Blitz.

US rapper 2 Chainz serves food to homeless

When the call came to reopen restaurants in Georgia, not everyone answered it the same way.
Instead of opening his Escobar Restaurant in Atlanta, American rapper 2 Chainz took the opportunity to provide meals for homeless people.
He was seen outside a closed business, handing out meals while wearing a mask and gloves.
Georgia governor Brian Kemp allowed restaurants to reopen across the state on Monday, following a similar decision to reopen other businesses such as nail salons, hairdressers and gyms on Friday..
This has drawn criticism from many across the political spectrum, including US President Donald Trump who said he “strongly disagrees” with the governor.
There have been more than 24,000 coronavirus cases in Georgia according to data from Johns Hopkins University and almost 1,000 deaths.

How can you work out the real number of deaths?

Robert Cuffe - BBC head of statistics
You’re probably seeing a range of different figures for the number of people who have died since the start of the coronavirus outbreak.
Every day, the government announces the number of people whose death has been reported in the last 24 hours in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus. This largely covers deaths in hospitals, so doesn’t give the full picture of what is going on elsewhere.
If you look at all death registrations, you can capture this picture.
These figures are released weekly and include people who have died who are suspected to have had the virus, not just those who have tested positive. They also compare the overall number of people who have died with the average number of deaths at that time of year.
Statisticians are confident that the difference will tell us about all the deaths caused by the epidemic – not just those caused directly by the virus, but those due to people with other conditions not seeking or getting the care they need.
While the daily figures are for the whole of the UK, the weekly ones are released separately by the nations – Scotland comes out first, followed by Northern Ireland and then England and Wales – their figures come out 10 days after the period they cover.
Even those weekly figures do not tell us how many years of life have been lost – some people who die during the epidemic would have lived for many years, and some might have died within the next few months.
To understand that picture, we’ll have to wait to see what happens to all deaths in 2020, but that analysis is some time away.

France lockdown 'has saved 62,000 lives in a month'

Prime Minister Édouard Philippe says the country's lockdown measures in place have saved 62,000 lives over the space of a month.
Mr Philippe is currently outlining the government's plan to gradually ease the restrictions from 11 May. The plan will later be voted on by lawmakers.
Nearly 23,300 coronavirus-related deaths have been recorded in France, along with 165,842 confirmed cases.

546 new deaths in England, 17 in Wales

NHS England has announced 546 new deaths of people who tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 19,295.
A further 17 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in Wales, taking the total number of deaths there to 813, Public Health Wales has said.

Rubbish tips in England asked to reopen in 'coming weeks'

The UK's Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has said he is telling councils to plan the "organised reopening" of household waste collection sites.
Speaking in the House of Commons, he said he expected this to happen “in the coming weeks” and he will publish amended guidance for English councils “shortly.”
It follows calls for rubbish tips to reopen in order to curb an increase in fly-tipping, after many waste facilities closed in March.

French prime minister unveils lockdown easing plan

French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe is giving a speech to parliament about the government's plans to ease lockdown restrictions.
The plan will be rolled out in different areas of France, but strict rules will remain in place in regions worst affected by the outbreak.

• From 11 May, it's proposed that kindergartens and elementary schools will gradually reopen, followed by middle schools a week later. A decision will be made about high schools at the end of the month.
  
• Shops and markets will also be allowed to reopen, but not bars and restaurants. Retailers will also be able to require customers to wear masks on their premises.
  
• Masks will also be compulsory on public transport, and in all schools except for kindgarden students
  
• Mr Philippe stressed that the lockdown will not be eased unless the number of new infections in France drops to 3,000 a day by 11 May.
  

Over 3,000 fines issued in first three weeks of UK lockdown

The cabinet office minister Michael Gove has told MPs that 3,203 fines were issued to people for "flouting restrictions" in the first three weeks of the lockdown.
The penalties were issued between 27 March and 13 April.
Michael Gove said the number will have "of course increased significantly since then".

A trucker's life during the pandemic

BBC Outside Source
It can be a fairly lonely existence as a truck driver, but social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic has further affected what little face-to-face communication there was.
Amy Pedrotti drives her truck across the United States. She told BBC Outside Source about her experiences.
"Just earlier today when I stopped at one place to fuel up, as soon as I walked in the employees all put masks on," she said.
"In other places, I’ll walk in with my mask on and they’ll be like, ‘you believe in that huh?’”
Listen to the interview here.

French sport will not resume this season

The Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 seasons will not resume after France banned all sporting events, including behind closed doors, until September.
"The 2019-2020 season of professional sports, especially that of football, will not be able to resume," French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told parliament on Tuesday.
French football's governing body had hoped to resume the football season in June, following its indefinite suspension in March.

Why is Scotland recommending people wear face covering?

David Shukman - Science editor, BBC News
The key factor in the Scottish decision is what’s called “asymptomatic transmission” – people who are infected but not showing symptoms passing on the virus to others.
Almost a month ago, US government assessed the latest research into this risk and concluded that the public should cover their faces when in confined spaces. A study in Singapore had found evidence that coronavirus had been spread by people who had not realised they were infected.
In particular scientists identified the possibility of the virus being passed in a two-day period before symptoms started to show.
Dozens of governments are now urging – or ordering – their citizens to cover their faces in an effort to reduce this route of infection. As Nicola Sturgeon said, this is not about urging people to rush out to buy professional-grade masks – these are designed to protect medical and care staff and should be reserved for them.
Instead, as in the US, the idea is to devise your own covering, not so much to protect you and as to protect others where distancing isn’t possible.The UK’s government’s scientific advisers weighed up the evidence last week and we’re now waiting to see whether ministers decide to follow the Scottish example.

US airline to require face masks for all passengers

JetBlue Airways will become the first US airline to require passengers to wear face coverings while on flights.
Starting on 4 May, passengers will be required to wear masks covering their mouth and nose from the time of check-in until they depart the plane. Only small children who are unable to keep a mask on are exempt.
“Wearing a face covering isn’t about protecting yourself it’s about protecting those around you,” said Joanna Geraghty, president of JetBlue. “This is the new flying etiquette."
Customers will be reminded by email and expected to provide their own face coverings.
The news comes as other US airlines scramble to meet new safety standards. American Airlines - the world's largest airline - announced on Monday that passengers will be provided with masks and hand sanitiser when boarding some flights, beginning early next month.

Four drivers to cover 150 miles

Tom Bateman - BBC Middle East correspondent
The new head of the UN agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) is in self-isolation after making an unusual road trip from Beirut to Jerusalem via several countries.
The two cities lie only 240km (150 miles) apart but direct travel has been impossible for decades due to hostile relations between Israel and neighbouring Lebanon, and flights are grounded because of the coronavirus crisis.
Philippe Lazzarini had to pass from Lebanon to Syria, to Jordan and then the Israeli-occupied West Bank - changing vehicles sprayed with disinfectant along the way - before arriving in Jerusalem at the end of the day-long journey involving four different teams of drivers.
Unrwa aids more than five million registered refugees in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, as well as in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Mr Lazzarini told the BBC that despite few reported coronavirus cases, containment measures had created a “desperate” situation for the 1.5 million Palestinians living in refugee camps.

The UK picture

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

• The Office for National Statistics says a third of all coronavirus deaths in England and Wales are now happening in care homes
  
• A minute’s silence took place to honour NHS and care worker staff who had died from the virus
  
• Boris Johnson focused on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at his first cabinet coronavirus meeting since returning to work, Downing Street said
  
• The son of a doctor who died as a result of the outbreak has called for an apology from Health Secretary Matt Hancock
  
• The government has pledged £3.1m to help children abused in lockdown
  

US House abandons plans to return to Washington

In a last minute change of course, top members in the US House of Representatives have dropped plans to bring the chamber back into session next week.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Democratic leaders made the decision after consulting with the House doctor.
"We made a judgement that we will not come back next week but that we hope to come back very soon," Hoyer said.
The Republican-controlled Senate still plans to return on 4 May.
Washington, DC remains under a stay at home order until 15 May. Confirmed cases have passed 13,600 and at least 764 people have died.

Johnson 'focusing' on protective kit

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to work this week after recovering from coronavirus.
And one of his spokesmen says he used his first cabinet meeting with colleagues since his comeback to focus on personal protective equipment - known more commonly as PPE.
The government has been defending its record on supplying PPE to health workers after an investigation by the BBC's Panorama found it had failed to buy crucial items to cope with a pandemic.
The TV programme, which aired last night, found there were no gowns, visors, swabs or body bags in the government's pandemic stockpile when Covid-19 reached the UK, and that the government had ignored a warning from its own advisers to buy missing equipment.
But ministers said a stockpile had been designed to face a flu pandemic, as scientists had advised.
You can read more about the story here.

Risk of second peak 'very real'

Mr Hancock also talked about testing, which he said was increasing across the board.
He suggests the government is on course to meet its target of 100,000 tests by Thursday.
On the future of the lockdown, he insists the social distancing rules in force will not be relaxed any time soon, saying the risk of a second peak of infections is "very real but we as a nation have kept it at bay".

'Up to 12,000' redundancies at British Airways

British Airways has formally notified its trade unions about a proposed restructuring and redundancy program, as the airline industry struggles with the impact of coronavirus.
"The proposals remain subject to consultation but it is likely that they will affect most of British Airways' employees and may result in the redundancy of up to 12,000 of them," parent company IAG said in a statement.

What have we learned from today’s briefing?

Here are the key points from today's UK coronavirus briefing:

• Testing has now be extended in England to all care home residents and staff regardless of whether they have symptoms or not
  
• Also, from Wednesday, all those over 65 and those who must leave home for work will be able to get a test if they are displaying symptoms
  
• The UK's daily testing capacity is now 73,400 and the government is "on track" to hit the 100,000 daily testing target by the end of the month
  
• Deaths in care homes account for a sixth of the total death toll, but Matt Hancock suggested that the figure is in line with yearly averages
  
• From Wednesday the government will publish daily figures for care home and community deaths, not just deaths in hospitals
  
• An existing drug is entering an early clinical trial phase to treat coronavirus
  

McDonald’s trials UK branch reopening

Fast food fans may relish the news that burger chain McDonald's is testing reopening a branch this week.
But the branch will only open for "operational tests" and will remain closed to the general public, with no date announced for when customers will be able to pick up food again.
"Restarting our business is not an easy task, even when reopening in a limited capacity," said Paul Pomroy, McDonald's UK and Ireland chief executive.
"For now we remain closed, and will only reopen when we are absolutely confident we can have the right measures in place to ensure everyone's well-being."

New York Governor lays out plan for May reopening

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says some regions of his state can expect to loosen lockdown restrictions beginning on 15 May, provided they hit certain containment markers, including a 14-day consecutive decline in virus cases.
A reopening will not be possible in areas where hospitals are at 70% capacity or above, or where the transmission rate is above 1.1, Cuomo said. New York City - the most hard-hit city in the state - will not begin its reopening on that day, "unless a miracle happens".
Manufacturing and construction businesses will be among the first to reopen, given they are able to put precautions in place.
In the past 24 hours, 335 people died throughout New York, a modest decline from the 337 deaths the day before.
"Every day I think today might be the day the nightmare is over, but it’s not," Cuomo said.

Governor Cuomo: 'Where were all the experts?'

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo also took aim at the "international health community", national experts and US media outlets for not raising the alarm of a looming pandemic.
"Governors don't do global pandemics," Cuomo said.
"Where were all the experts? Where was the New York Times? Where was the Wall Street Journal? Where was all the bugle blowers who should say' be careful, there's a virus in china that may be in the United States.'"
"It's not a state responsibility," he said.
US newspapers and other news sites had published articles on the WHO describing the coronavirus as a global health emergency as early as January.
Cuomo's comments come as New York leaders receive increasing attention for a delayed response to the virus.

The latest from Europe

France looks to reopen shops from 11 May and Portugal will end its state of emergency this Saturday. Here’s the latest from Europe:

• Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told parliament in France how his country can slowly exit its lockdown restrictions. Shops, markets and primary schools will reopen from 11 May, but those who can work from home should continue to do so for three more weeks. “We must protect the French without immobilising France to the point that it collapses,” Mr Philippe said
  
• But the measures are far from over. Museums are not expected to reopen until September, and the top two divisions of the French league will not resume this season
  
• President Vladimir Putin has admitted there is a shortage of protective kit in Russia. “Despite increased production, imports, there’s a deficit of all sorts of things,” he said on Tuesday. Mr Putin added the country was facing “perhaps the most intense stage” of its outbreak
  
• And Italy's total number of confirmed cases passed 200,000 on Tuesday. Current cases fell by 608, but there were 382 deaths recorded in the past 24 hours, up from 333 reported on Monday
  

US confirmed cases surpass 1 million

Confirmed virus cases in the US have now surpassed 1 million, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The US surpassed China in March for the most confirmed cases of coronavirus than any other country.
The death toll has reached 56,749 nationwide, also a global high.

Submarine captain sacked over lockdown party

A Royal Navy submarine captain who allowed his crew to hold a barbeque party during the UK lockdown has been sacked.
Commander John Lewis, captain of nuclear-powered submarine HMS Trenchant, allowed the party at Devonport dockyard in Plymouth.
A video shared on social media showed the crew dancing and laughing on the dockside after the submarine returned to the town for repairs.
The captain has been relieved of his command following an inquiry, but will remain in the Royal Navy in another role.

Irish PM Varadkar joins front line workers

He is usually photographed wearing a suit and tie, but Irish premier Leo Varadkar was spotted wearing medical scrubs when he joined front line workers to help out with coronavirus testing in Dublin.
The Taoiseach, who is a qualified medical doctor, also had a face mask as he helped out. Blanchardstown Traveller Development Group posted pictures on their Facebook page of Mr Varadkar wearing the medical gear while talking to a number of residents.
Mr Varadkar rejoined the medical register to offer his services and is working one session a week since earlier this month.
As of Tuesday, a total of total of 1,159 people have died with coronavirus in the Republic of Ireland.

What's happening in sport?

Despite the lack of live action around the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, there is plenty of news in sport. Here are a few headlines:

• Fifa's chief doctor has warned against restarting the interrupted 2019-20 football campaign and suggested governing bodies prepare for action next season instead
  
• The postponed Tokyo Olympics will be "scrapped" if they cannot take place in 2021, says Games chief Yoshiro Mori
  
• The Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 football seasons will not resume after France banned all sporting events, including behind closed doors, until September
  
• Formula 1 has almost doubled the shutdown period for teams as the coronavirus crisis continues to play havoc with the 2020 championship
  
• Four players from Australia's National Rugby League are set to be fined for breaking social distancing rules
  

Mike Pence shuns mask on clinic visit

Footage has emerged of US Vice-President Mike Pence failing to wear a mask on a visit to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota today.
All patients, staff and visitors to the site are required to wear a mask while on campus, guidance on the world-renowned health centre's website.

Shortly after the footage emerged, the Mayo Clinic posted and then deleted a tweet to say Mr Pence had been informed of their mask rule ahead of his visit.
The BBC's partner, CBS, has asked the clinic for a statement.
The incident comes on the same day confirmed cases of coronavirus in the US topped one million.
The country, suffering huge economic disruption caused by the pandemic, is the midst of a national row over how and when to lift lockdown measures.
Some governors have taken action to reopen local economies, despite ongoing health concerns and almost 58,000 national deaths.

Canadians MPs in first virtual sitting

Canadian members of Parliament convened today for the first ever virtual sitting using the videoconferencing platform Zoom.
It was the first time all 338 MPs have publicly gathered virtually, in this case for a special committee to debate the federal government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
There were a number of technical glitches - connection, audio and translation issues.
Some members - including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau - occasionally forgot to take themselves off mute.
These happened despite a less formal dry run on Monday, captured in a screengrab by Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner and posted on Twitter.
Missing was the usual heckling and applause.
MPs will be supplementing once-weekly in-person sittings - with social distancing guidelines in place - with these virtual sittings until late May.

UK coronavirus death toll

A total of 21,678 people have died in UK hospitals, an increase of 586 since Monday's figures.
This number will be higher once deaths in care homes an in the community are included.
From Wednesday, the UK will publish a daily figure of the number of people who have died in care homes, alongside the hospital deaths figure, the health secretary has announced.
In the individual nations:

• The total number of confirmed deaths in hospitals in England is 19,295
  
• In Wales, 1,016 people have died
  
• The number of deaths in Northern Ireland has reached 329
  
• In Scotland, 1,332 people have died with coronavirus
  

The tallies for individual nations differ from the UK-wide total, because they are calculated on a different timeframe.

The US reaches a grim milestone

Anthony Zurcher - BBC North America reporter
One million coronavirus cases in the US is indeed a grim milestone, a number as round and neat as it is devastating.
The reality, however, is that the mark was certainly hit weeks ago, as many cases have gone undiagnosed – the disease silently spreading through communities across the nation.
Only a few months ago, the pandemic seemed like a distant news story for most Americans – a problem for China, then Italy. There had been pandemic warnings before, but they had always passed with little impact on everyday life. Why would this time be different?
But it was different. The virus spread from a handful of documented US cases in January, to thousands, to hundreds of thousands, and now a million – one-third of all the cases in entire world, with a death count now above 50,000.
While the nationwide lockdown appears to have helped slow the spread of the virus and avoid the most dire casualty predictions, Tuesday’s milestone is still an indictment of US government’s failed attempts to prevent a full-blown health – and economic – crisis.
It is also a warning that despite calls to ease state-imposed restrictions and reopen businesses, the virus continues to pose a serious threat throughout the US.

Is the US doing better on testing as President Trump claims?

Reality Check
US President Donald Trump has said that the US is “doing far more, and better, testing than any other country in the world".
The latest data shows 5,593,495 tests have been carried out in the US, and that is more tests in total than any other country.
But the US has far more people to test than most other nations, with a population of about 328 million, and in terms of tests per capita it is still behind others.
Exact testing comparisons can be difficult. Some countries count the number of people tested, while others count the total number of tests carried out as someone can be tested several times over if the first test doesn't work properly.
Looking at the latest data available, the US has carried out one test in every 60 people. But Italy has done one in every 35 people, Spain around one in every 45, and Australia around one in every 50.
In early March, the White House conceded that the US did not have enough testing kits, but testing has significantly increased, with the total number carried out more than quadrupling since the start of April.

'France's exit strategy might just measure up to the disaster'

Hugh Schofield - BBC News, Paris
French central planning is at its finest in a crisis. As the prime minister said, never in history - not in war, occupation or disease - has France had to confront such massive disruption. And now from the best fonctionnaire brains in the land comes an exit strategy that might just measure up to the disaster.
As ever in hyper-rational France, the plan is built around numbers, categories and systems. The key figure is 3,000. That is what the government reckons will be the amount of daily infections in the weeks ahead.
By setting up local ‘brigades’ of investigators to track the trail of infection, they reckon they will test 20 contacts per infection - so 420,000 tests a week, which is well within planned capacity. Those found to have the virus will be expected to self-isolate, either at home with their families or in requisitioned hotels. And as for the rest of the population, life will very gradually resume.
Protection, testing, isolation. That is the system. Which is itself then conditioned by three imperatives: acceptance of the enduring nature of the virus, progressive implementation and regional adaptation. It always sounds a mouthful when a French technocrat expounds on a plan. But sometimes it may be exactly what the country needs.

Trump orders meat-processing plants to remain open

Jessica Lussenhop - Senior staff writer, BBC News
President Trump will use the Defense Production Act to compel some meat processing plants to stay open. But it will raise questions about how workers will remain safe on factory floors.
Across the country, slaughterhouses and meat production facilities have shut after the coronavirus swept through the employees' ranks, sickening at least 3,300 workers and killing 20.
Meat production in the US is thought to have contracted by anywhere from 25 to 40%. Because these plants process tens of thousands of animals into meat products every day, the shutdowns are having a significant impact on thousands of farmers, particularly hog farmers in the US Midwest. Without anyone to buy pigs ready for slaughter, some are beginning to euthanize their animals.
Glynn Tonsor, a professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University, says consumers will notice a decrease in available meat products in the month of May, particularly in products that require an extra step like smoking or flavouring. But he says stocks could be back to normal by June.
One of the first large American pork plants to close was the Smithfield factory in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, after it became the number one Covid-19 hotspot in the US.
Read the BBC's untold story of America's biggest outbreak.

Social distancing is working – so why is Quebec opening up?

Canada’s most recent data shows that social distancing is working, just as some provinces unveil their plans to reopen the economy.
Quebec, the epicentre of Canada’s outbreak, plans to reopen schools and some businesses like manufacturing and construction as early as 4 May. Premier Francois Legault plans to ease controls outside of the Montreal “hot zone” first.
These new plans have left some worried, as the government’s latest modelling shows how essential social distancing is for Canada’s recovery.
In early April, new cases were doubling every three days. Now they are doubling every 16 days, the data shows.
Without strict public health controls, models predict as much as 80% of the population could be infected by the fall. If strict measures are maintained, the infection rate could go as low as 1%.
The country currently has about 49,025 cases and 2,766 deaths. Models predict that by 5 May, there will be 53,196 to 66,835 and 3,277 to 3,883 deaths.

Royal Mail stops Saturday deliveries

Royal Mail has scrapped Saturday letter deliveries across the UK until further notice due to the coronavirus pandemic.
From this weekend Saturday deliveries will be "temporarily" halted, the delivery company said.
Monday to Friday post will continue as normal.


We're pausing our coverage here, but before we go, here's a recap of some of the day's top stories.

• The US passed a grim milestone, with more than a million cases of Covid-19 recorded. There are now 3,098,391 confirmed cases worldwide and 216,160 deaths, Johns Hopkins University says
  
• In England, all care home residents and staff will be able to access tests from Wednesday, whether or not they have symptoms - meaning millions more people will be eligible for testing
  
• In France, residents will be required to wear masks on public transport and in secondary schools when the country begins to ease its lockdown on 11 May. Non-essential shops and markets will open their doors again and schools will reopen gradually.
  
• In the US, the House of Representatives has abandoned plans to return to Washington next week. Several states, including Georgia and Texas, have pressed ahead with plans to reopen amid the infection rise.
  
• There is a shortage of personal protective equipment in Russia, President Vladimir Putin said, warning that his country had still not reached its infection peak. Russia has more than 93,000 cases and 867 recorded deaths.
  
• As New Zealand emerges from almost five weeks of strict stay home orders, residents are rushing back to enjoy perks of a post-lockdown life: coffee and fast food.
  

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