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    Coronavirus - 20th May

    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    Coronavirus - 20th May Empty Coronavirus - 20th May

    Post by Kitkat Wed 20 May 2020, 13:54

    Summary for Wednesday, 20th May


    • The number of people in Brazil who have died with Covid-19 jumps by 1,179 - a daily record
    • President Jair Bolsonaro has downplayed the risks, even though Brazil has the world's third highest number of infections
    • In the UK, ministers face pressure to reconsider plans to reopen English primary schools to some pupils from 1 June
    • The World Bank warns 60m more people could be pushed into "extreme poverty"
    • There have been 4.9m confirmed cases worldwide, with almost 325,000 deaths


    Hello and welcome back to the BBC's live coverage of the global coronavirus outbreak. We're writing to you from Singapore this morning, and will be joined by our colleagues across Asia, Australia and London later on today.
    Here's a quick look at what's happening this morning:

    • Brazil has recorded 1,179 virus deaths over the past 24 hours - its biggest daily toll yet - bringing the overall death toll to 17,971. The pandemic appears to be rapidly gaining pace in Brazil


    • The World Bank has warned that 60 million people could be pushed into extreme poverty as a result of the outbreak
    • Over in Asia, Singapore has announced it will end its partial state of lockdown on 1 June, though most curbs and guidelines will still remain in place as the country looks to transition into a "new normal" phase
    • The number of cases worldwide is now inching slowly towards 4.9m, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The death toll now stands at 322,861


    Pandemic rapidly gaining pace in Brazil

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    Brazil has recorded its highest daily death toll yet with 1,179 over that past 24 hours. Overall, the virus has now been linked to almost 18,000 fatalities in the country.
    In terms of infections, Brazils now has the world’s third-highest number with 271,885 confirmed cases. Over the past 24 hours alone, there were 17,408 new positive tests and observers say the country’s peak is not expected until June.
    Brazil is deeply divided over how to respond to the pandemic. President Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly downplayed the severity of the virus and argues that the lockdowns implemented by regional governors will do more harm to the economy and hence the people – than the virus itself.

    Trump says US topping cases is a 'badge of honour'

    US President Donald Trump has argued it is "a badge of honour" that the US has the world's highest number of confirmed Covid-19 infections.
    "I look at that as, in a certain respect, as being a good thing because it means our testing is much better," he said.
    While the US has conducted more tests by volume than any other country, it is not first in the world on a per capita basis, according to Our World in Data, a scientific publication based at Oxford University.
    Its chart ranks the US as 16th globally in terms of tests per 1,000 people, ahead of South Korea, but less than the likes of Iceland, New Zealand, Russia and Canada.

    The US has 1.5 million coronavirus cases and nearly 92,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

    Qantas to fly with no seat distancing

    Qantas, Australia's national carrier, says when it resumes normal operation next month it will run flights with no physical distancing. It will offer masks and hand sanitiser to passengers but masks won't be mandatory.
    This model- understandably - has made many nervous and some are questioning whether the airline is prioritising costs over health risks. Qantas says were it to enact personal space guidelines, planes would only have 22 passengers and airfares would be up to 10 times higher.
    In defending the plan, chief executive Alan Joyce also said Qantas had run several full repatriation flights for the government with no issues. There were also few confirmed cases globally of the virus being contracted on a plane, he said.
    He claimed pressurised plane cabins were safer environments than other transport. This is because passengers sit the same way, high seats act as barriers and the filtered "air flow is top to bottom".

    However, several health experts in Australia have said they're still cautious of air travel, and would not sit close to a stranger in a contained space.

    Virus response to be investigated

    Coronavirus - 20th May C5069410
    The member states of the World Health Assembly met online

    World Health Organization (WHO) member states have agreed to set up an independent inquiry into the global response to the coronavirus pandemic.
    The resolution, approved without objection by the WHO's 194-member annual assembly meeting virtually in Geneva, also allows for the inquiry to look into the health body's own role.
    The United States in particular has been highly critical of its response.
    The EU presented the resolution on behalf of 100 nations.
    Read the full story here.

    South Korean seniors return to school

    Hundreds of thousands of high school seniors are returning to school in South Korea today - but things aren't exactly going to be the same.
    For one, they'll have to get their temperatures checked, hands sanitised and don a mask before they're able to step into school premises.
    If a case is confirmed within a school, the school will switch back to online classes immediately.
    The country is implementing a phased return to the classroom - all of the country's students will eventually get back to school by 8 June.

    Scientists fear car surge will see CO2 rebound

    Daily global emissions of CO2 fell by 17% at the peak of the shutdown because of measures taken by governments in response to Covid-19, scientists say.
    Industry has temporarily closed down and demand for energy all over the world has crashed. China has been responsible for the biggest drop, followed by the US, Europe and India.
    The most comprehensive account yet published says that almost half the record decrease was due to fewer car journeys.
    But the authors are worried that, as people return to work, car use will soar again. They fear CO2 emissions could soon be higher than before the crisis.


    Brazil's Bolsonaro pushes chloroquine use

    Katy Watson - BBC South America correspondent
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    Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro will finally have his way – helped by his new interim health minister, an army general, happy to take orders from his boss.
    Speaking live on Facebook, Bolsonaro said that Eduardo Pazuello would sign the new protocol which widens the use of the anti-malarial drug chloroquine beyond just critical patients – this, despite there being no evidence that it helps treat or prevent Covid-19.
    He announced the decision on the same day that Brazil saw a record number of deaths and new cases.
    Bolsonaro also mentioned that he kept a small box of chloroquine in case his 93-year-old mother needed it.
    It was only a few days ago that Brazil’s previous health minister resigned, reportedly because he felt under pressure to sign the new guidelines.
    Read more about chloroquine here.

    India prepares for cyclone amid Covid-19

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    The cyclone is expected to make landfall on Wednesday on India's eastern coast

    India is preparing for a "severe cyclonic storm" - one of the biggest in decades - which will make landfall on the country's eastern coast this afternoon or evening.
    Cyclone Amphan is expected to bring heavy rains and winds gusting up to 185km/h (115mph).
    Millions are being evacuated in coastal villages in Orissa and West Bengal states, with the latter likely to experience the brunt of the storm.
    Both states have turned government schools and other buildings into shelters as they need extra space to accommodate people with social distancing norms - and they are short of them as many existing shelters are already being used as quarantine centres.
    The storm comes as India's confirmed Covid-19 cases crossed the 100,000 mark.

    Venezuela files claim for its gold reserves

    Venezuela's central bank has made a legal claim to try to force the Bank of England to hand over €930m ($1bn; £820m) worth of gold it holds.
    Venezuela, already suffering under US and British sanctions, says it wants to use the gold's value to tackle coronavirus.
    Legal documents say the bank wants the transfer made "as a matter of urgency" to buy supplies like food and medicine. They say the bank has agreed to transfer the money directly to the United Nations to administer for that purpose.
    Britain does not recognise the government of Nicolas Maduro as legitimate.
    The Bank of England acts as a gold custodian for a number of developing nations.

    Parents see premature babies via app in lockdown

    Because of the lockdown, parents in the UK, like in many other countries, are unable to visit their newborns regularly if the babies have to stay in hospital.
    But the parents of Kai - who was born prematurely - are getting to see him through an app on their phone.
    Every morning Kai's mother wakes up to a message updating her on how her son slept, and a real-time picture of him - and the updates continue throughout the day.

    Double disaster for Australian fire-hit towns

    Coronavirus - 20th May Cffa1610
    Mogo was among towns hit hard by Australia's bushfires

    As bushfires ravaged the small town of Mogo on New Year's Eve, all that many residents could do was flee.
    When they returned, almost 500 homes in the town and surrounding shire had been razed.
    In the following weeks, the Business Council of Australia announced funding for a pop-up mall and 10 temporary buildings. It was hoped that local businesses could find their feet again, but the virus has crippled the community once more.
    The BBC's Shaimaa Khalil was able to visit the town, observing distancing rules.
    "It's heart-breaking and soul destroying," one business owner, Lorena Granados, told her. "Our motivation went from a hundred to nothing."
    Read more of Shaimaa's report.

    World Bank warns of 60m falling into 'extreme poverty'

    Up to 60m people will be pushed into "extreme poverty" by the coronavirus warned the president of the World Bank.
    David Malpass said the bank expects global economic growth to shrink by 5% this year as nations deal with the pandemic.
    This has already led to millions losing their jobs and businesses failing, with poorer countries feeling the brunt.
    "Millions of livelihoods have been destroyed and healthcare systems are under strain worldwide," he said.
    The World Bank defines "extreme poverty" as living on less than $1.90 (£1.55) per person per day.
    Read our full story here.

    Reality Check: Does hydroxychloroquine work?

    US President Donald Trump has praised it for weeks and says he's taking it himself. And now Brazil is also pushing for it to be used on a widespread level.
    Hydroxychloroquine (and a similar drug chloroquine) is an anti-malaria drug and some anectodal evidence has suggested it might work against Covid-19 as well. Scientific studies are ongoing but so far, no study has confirmed that it has any effect against the coronaviurs.
    In fact, there are warnings over serious and even fatal side effects the medication can have.
    The BBC's Reality Check team has looked in depth at what the concerns over the drug are, why some people are promoting it and which countries have authorised its use against Covid-19.


    Coronavirus - 20th May 49916910

    Australia's biggest state opens up holiday travel

    From June, New South Wales, the most-populous state, will allow its residents to travel across the region for holidays. Currently, only care visits are allowed.
    Most of the state's eight million residents live in Sydney and other coastal cities, so this is aimed at getting city residents out into the country and boosting tourism.
    NSW is also encouraging interstate visitors - a message which optimistically belies the fact that besides Victoria, all other states are still keeping their borders shut. (They moved quickly when it became clear most of Australia's infections were in NSW and Victoria.)
    Still, NSW residents will have plenty of room to wander in a state which is three times the size of the UK.
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    New South Wales is encouraging residents to take local holidays



    Global numbers edge towards 5 million

    There are now 4,893,195 confirmed infections worldiwde, 1,686,487 of which have recoverd while 322,861 have died.
    If you want to keep track of the global outbreak, we have just the place for you. Our visual and data journalism team has put together a special page where you can see:

    • How many cases and deaths are in which countries
    • Which countries are past their peaks and which are not
    • How the pandemic spread around the world
    • Where death tolls are rising the fastest
    • Which countries have managed to flatten the curve


    Sense of disappointment in Singapore

    Yvette Tan - BBC News
    Singapore has announced that it will end its partial state of lockdown on 1 June - but there's no rejoicing yet.
    The country, which entered its "circuit breaker" on 7 April, will still continue to adhere to strict regulations - with measures to be progressively lifted in three phases.
    In the first phase, which begins on 2 June, more people will be allowed to return to their workplaces, to visit their parents and schools will gradually reopen.
    The second phase - where businesses like retail outlets and gyms may reopen - could take weeks or even months, depending on how successful phase one is.


    Coronavirus - 20th May 84d3cb10
    The streets of Singapore have now fallen silent

    It's clear that Singapore is taking an extremely cautious approach to reopening- eager to avoid the same outcome as several countries that have seen a new surge in cases after easing their lockdown.
    But the sentiment among Singaporeans seems to be a feeling that the partial lockdown was being lifted more in name than in practice, as most social regulations remain in place.
    And with no clear end in sight there's a sense of disappointment in the air.
    Many were looking forward to getting on with their daily lives, but now feel stuck in this period of waiting. Others are worried that businesses will not be able to sustain themselves until phase 2 ends - whenever that might be.
    Though community cases has been low in recent days, an outbreak amongst its huge migrant worker community - who have now been quarantined - means hundreds are still testing positive for the virus each day.

    Scenes from South America as pandemic escalates

    For days Brazil has made headlines for its steady increase in daily deaths and infections. After China, Europe and the US, South America is now seeing a sharp escalation of the pandemic
    Coronavirus - 20th May 65c51110

    Brazil just saw its highest daily death toll of 1,179. With almost 18,000 new daily infections, the pandemic is rapidly gaining pace in the country - the most populous in the region.
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    In Peru, a traditional Andean harlequin is reminding people to wear face masks. The country has around 100,000 infections and 3,000 deaths.
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    In Venezuela, this karate professional has to train in isolation on his rooftop. The country has confirmed only around 600 cases but the lockdown is adding to the already crippling economic crisis.
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    With fewer than 9,000 confirmed cases, Argentina fares a lot better than its neighbour Brazil. But medics are bracing for things to get worse and are practicing their response.
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    Chile has had 50,000 cases and 500 deaths so far. On Tuesday soldiers and riot police clashed with demonstrators angry about food shortages and job losses.

    NZ's Ardern raises four-day work week idea

    New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has encouraged flexible working arrangements such as a four-day work week as the nation comes out of lockdown.
    A longer weekend, or just more flexibility, would allow Kiwis to travel more around the country - boosting tourism and the economy while the nation's borders remain shut.
    The PM made the comments during a Facebook live chat, filmed on her way back from Rotorua, a popular tourist destination. She's become known for her casual online addresses.
    “I hear lots of people suggesting we should have a four-day work week. Ultimately that really sits between employers and employees,” the PM said.
    “I’d really encourage people to think about that if you’re an employer and in a position to do so."
    The exciting prospect adds to the global discussion about what work-life balance might look like after the pandemic.
    Ms Ardern has been globally praised for leading New Zealand out of the virus crisis, with 21 deaths recorded in the 5-million population. Polls released yesterday show that she is the nation's most popular leader of the past century.

    India records highest spike despite strict lockdown

    India recorded more than 5,200 new infections on Tuesday - its biggest spike so far in a single day. Its tally of confirmed cases is now over 106,000, with 61,149 active infections.
    The spike comes as the country begins to ease one of the world's most severe lockdowns, in which almost everything except essential services such as healthcare and food supplies was shut.
    While European countries have already peaked, experts have said that's yet to happen in India. Dr Randeep Guleria, director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, has said that cases could peak in June-July, which is also the flu season.
    But other epidemiologists believe the peak may vary from state to state, as the progress of the disease has also differed widely across regions.
    Maharashtra state alone, for instance, accounts for nearly 40% of India's confirmed cases - and along with Gujarat it makes up nearly 70% of the national death toll from the pandemic.

    China sees new cases in northeast cluster

    China on Wednesday reported four new confirmed cases in the northeastern province of Jilin and one imported case - bringing the total number of cases to 82,965.
    Earlier this month, an infected laundry worker in Shulan city was found to have spread the virus to 11 others.
    Shulan was declared a high-risk area and has entered a state of lockdown - all outbound transport has been stopped.
    Several cases were later recorded in Jilin city and the province has now seen a total of 133 confirmed locally transmitted cases, according to state media.
    There are now fears that the province could emerge as the centre of new infections in China - even as life starts to go back to normal for the rest of the country.

    Ministers under pressure over schools - UK latest

    Good morning if you are just joining us in the UK. Here's some of the latest global developments:

    • Ministers are facing further pressure from council leaders and teaching unions to reconsider plans to reopen English primary schools to some pupils from 1 June.
    • Captain Tom Moore is to be knighted after raising more than £32m for National Health Service charities by completing 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday in April.
    • Brazil has become the country with the third-highest number of confirmed coronavirus infections in the world, after registering a total of more than 250,000 cases.
    • President Donald Trump has argued it is "a badge of honour" that the US has the world's highest number of infections. "It means our testing is much better," he said.


    Fiji wants to join Australia-NZ 'bubble'

    The Pacific Island nation of Fiji is keen to be included in the "bubble" between Australia and New Zealand when travel resumes in the coming months.
    Both nations have succeeded in containing the virus' spread, while Fiji, which counted only 17 cases, has reported no new cases in the past month.
    Like other small Pacific Island nations, it has succeeded in stopping the virus spread to its corner. But with an economy heavily reliant on tourism - and particularly the dollar of the Australian and Kiwi tourist - it's keen to resume that soon. It's even running trials of a tracing app as part of preparations.
    Vanuatu is also in talks with Australia over travel openings.

    Cambridge University lectures online-only until summer 2021

    There will be no face-to-face lectures at the University of Cambridge over the course of the next academic year because of the coronavirus, the university has announced.
    Lectures will be available to students online and "it may be possible to host smaller teaching groups in person" if they meet social distancing requirements, the university said.
    It follows a similar move by the University of Manchester, which said its lectures would be online-only for the next term.
    University campuses across the country have been closed by the Covid-19 outbreak. Earlier this week, the university watchdog said students applying for university places in England must be told with "absolute clarity" how courses will be taught - before they make choices for the autumn.


    Masks at school as South Korean seniors return

    Julie Yoon - BBC Korean
    Some South Korean students have returned to their classrooms after an unprecedented five-month break, as schools re-open in stages with high school seniors returning first.
    Thermal scanners welcomed students entering through school gates. Smiling under their masks, students and teachers greeted each other.
    Cho Sung-jin, a homeroom teacher at Chungam High School told the BBC that teaching a lesson while wearing a mask was tough. “It is very difficult to breathe with a mask on when you are trying to project your voice”, said Mr Cho.
    “It’s also not easy to identify and recognise my students because they were all wearing identical masks.”
    Schools spaced out desks and fitted them with plastic partitions. Class times and lunch hours were also being staggered.
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    A high school senior in a new partitioned canteen

    At Chungam High School, students were also advised to “avoid unnecessary chitchat.”
    “Students were very co-operative today,” said Mr Cho. “Both students and teachers have looked forward to this day and we were happy to see each other in the flesh.”
    South Korea reported 32 new cases as of midnight Tuesday.
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    Plastic partitions separate students at lunch


    Doubts over schools reopening - UK papers review

    Several of this morning's UK front pages raise questions about the government's plans to open English primary schools for some pupils on 1 June.
    The Times suggests the date has been "thrown into doubt" by a senior scientific adviser, who has indicated that a track and trace system needs to be in place first.
    A government clarification that this is the earliest schools should open leads the Times to speculate whether the government's position is "softening in the face of a revolt".
    The Guardian reports that up to 1,500 primary schools in England will remain shut while at least 18 councils refuse to sanction the plans.
    Many papers have pictures of Captain Tom Moore, the 100-year-old war veteran who has been awarded a knighthood after raising more than £32m for charity.


    Wash your hands 'at least six times a day'

    How many times have you washed your hands today? A study by UK researchers now suggests you should be doing it at least six times a day.
    The study looked at data from 2006-09 on viruses that were structurally very similar to the new coronavirus strain.
    It found that the 1,663 participants were much less likely to be infected if they washed six times a day.
    Hand washing more than 10 times a day however did not seem to cut the risk of infection further.
    Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that mostly cause mild illness such as the common cold. All of them, including the one that causes Covid-19, can be killed by soap and water.

    Virus contact tracers' emails shared by accident

    Ross Hawkins - Political correspondent, BBC Radio 4 Today
    Outsourcing firm Serco has apologised after accidentally sharing the email addresses of almost 300 contact tracers in the UK.
    The company, which is training staff to trace cases of Covid-19 for the government, said it made the error when it emailed new recruits to tell them about training.
    Serco said it had apologised and would review its processes "to make sure that this does not happen again".
    It comes as the programme to train thousands of contact tracers has been described as shambolic and inadequate by recruits, according to a report in the Guardian. Contact tracing is a system used to slow the spread of infectious diseases like coronavirus. It is already being used in other countries including Singapore and Germany.

    Singapore court sentences man to death via Zoom

    A Malaysian man has been sentenced to hang by a court in Singapore via a Zoom video call - the city-state's first case in which the death penalty was announced remotely.
    Punithan Genasan, aged 37, was found complicit in heroin trafficking back in 2011, court documents show.
    He denies any involvement and is expected to appeal.
    Earlier this month, a man in Nigeria was sentenced to death via Zoom for a murder in 2018.
    Human Rights Watch described that verdict as "inherently cruel and inhumane".

    Brazil sees highest daily rise in cases and deaths

    Brazil has recorded its highest daily rise in infections and deaths since the coronavirus outbreak began in the country.
    Health officials reported a further 17,408 cases and 1,179 deaths in the past 24 hours.
    In total, 271,628 infections and 17,971 deaths had been confirmed as of Tuesday, health officials said.
    The country, which is the epicentre of the pandemic in Latin America, has the third highest number of infections worldwide, after Russia and the US.
    Health experts say the true figure may be far higher due to a lack of testing in the country. They fear the outbreak could overwhelm Brazil’s health system in the coming weeks if cases continue to rise.
    Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly downplayed the threat of the coronavirus and criticised governors and mayors for adopting strict restrictions to curb its spread.


    San Francisco to open more 'sleeping villages' for homeless

    Coronavirus - 20th May 7b56a610

    San Francisco has announced two more "safe sleeping villages", where homeless people can set up tents while practising social distancing.
    The first site opened near City Hall earlier this month amid public outrage over a rise in homelessness during the Covid-19 pandemic.
    The sites come equipped with toilets and hand-washing stations, and meals will also be provided, officials say.
    The city has so far confirmed 2,179 coronavirus cases.
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    At the last count in 2019, the city had more than 8,000 homeless people

    There has been a surge in the number of tents on pavements and street corners as homeless people struggle to find space.
    The shelters that they normally turn to are running out of space, or are under quarantine.
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    The number of tents in the Tenderloin district has surged

    The effect is most visible in the Tenderloin area, which has a history of homelessness. Residents say there are now more than 430 tents in the neighbourhood.
    It's unclear how widespread the virus is in these areas as testing has been low.

    Holidays and face masks - the latest from Europe

    Summer holidays could be on the cards after all and Spain makes face masks compulsory for everyone over six years old. Here’s the latest from Europe:

    • Greece is expected to announce plans later that would allow in visitors from other European countries as early as 1 July. The move comes as EU tourism ministers meet this afternoon to discuss how countries can reopen their borders for the summer holidays


    • Spain has made it mandatory for everyone over the age of six to wear a face mask in places such as shops, restaurants and public transport, and outdoors as well if social distancing isn’t possible. The rules come into effect on Thursday
    • Russia has announced a record number of daily deaths, jumping by 135 in the past 24 hours to a total of 2,972. The country has the second highest number of confirmed cases in the world - surpassing 300,000 on Wednesday - and some believe the true death toll is much higher
    • French charity Hand in Hand (Main dans la Main) has created a clear face mask to help people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The mask isn’t commercially available yet, but the group thinks it could ensure everyone can still communicate under new face covering rules


    • Authorities in the Netherlands say it’s “plausible” a worker at a mink farm caught the virus from one of the animals. Research is under way to confirm the link


    Dutch worker may be first confirmed animal to human transmission

    Anna Holligan - BBC News Hague correspondent
    The Dutch government says it is "plausible" that an employee at a mink farm contracted Covid-19 from one of the animals.
    The details were shared in a report uploaded to the government website late on Tuesday night. Further research is being conducted.
    If the "likely" scenario proves conclusive it would appear to be the first confirmed case of animal to human infection in the world. Experts suspect - but have not confirmed - that Covid-19 originated by crossing from an animal to a human in China.
    Measures are being put in place at mink farms across the Netherlands to try to prevent any spread.
    "These new research results have a major impact on the owners, families and employees of mink companies as well as on local communities. I am therefore in close contact with all these parties involved," said agriculture minister Carola Schouten.

    How do footballers do social distancing? The latest from sport

    English Premier League teams have started non-contact training, with markers helping to keep the players apart and some wearing face masks.
    Watford captain Troy Deeney says he will not return yet because he has fears for his family's health. Three of six positive tests among the league's players and staff were at Watford.
    In other developments in sport:

    • Depression and thoughts of self-harm have affected more than a fifth of current and former footballers surveyed by the players' union during the coronavirus pandemic
    • Pakistan plan to send a 25-man squad to England in July to meet the demands of playing an entire cricket tour behind closed doors in a "bio-secure" bubble
    • The French government's decision to revoke approval for a resumption of horse racing at some tracks has been described as "inexplicable" by France Galop president Edouard de Rothschild.


    Myanmar: Pastor faces jail for defying restrictions

    Nyein Chan Aye - BBC News Burmese
    A pastor is being held in judicial custody in Myanmar (Burma) after appearing in court in the city of Yangon accused of breaching coronavirus control rules.
    Canadian-Burmese pastor David Lah held multiple religious gatherings in Yangon after the regional government had banned all mass meetings on 13 March.
    More than 70 people have been infected after attending religious events in Myanmar, accounting for about 40% of all confirmed cases in the country. Mr Lah has said there will be no infections among true followers of Jesus. However, the pastor - who is popular with celebrities - has himself recovered after testing positive for Covid-19.
    If found guilty, he could be jailed for up to three years. Three other people were charged along with the pastor.

    Freed UK-Iranian waits to hear if she'll return to jail

    Caroline Hawley - BBC News
    The British-Iranian woman jailed in Iran, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, is anxiously awaiting news of whether her temporary release from prison will be extended or not.
    "The uncertainty is not good for her mental health," her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, told me today.
    Zaghari-Ratcliffe was freed from Tehran's Evin jail on 17 March, along with tens of thousands of other prisoners, as Iran tried to curb its coronavirus outbreak.
    She is due back in prison today - Wednesday - if her release is not extended again.
    Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested in 2016 at Tehran airport as she prepared to return to the UK from visiting her parents. She was jailed for five years after being accused of plotting against the regime - charges that British officials describe as "spurious".
    For the past two months she has been at her parents’ home in Tehran, forced to wear an ankle tag and stay within 300 metres of the house.
    "She’s pretty isolated because friends are too frightened to visit," said Mr Ratcliffe.
    But she has been able to enjoy long video calls with her five-year-old daughter Gabriella.
    "Gabriella is playing games with her, and showing her stuff - like her dolls, and they choose together which clothes to dress them in," Mr Ratcliffe said.
    But the stress of not knowing what will happen next affects the whole family, including Gabriella, Mr Ratcliffe said.
    "She picks up on moods. As we get more stressed, she gets more distressed."

    Thousands of UK troops stood down from Covid-19 alert

    Jonathan Beale - BBC defence correspondent
    The Ministry of Defence is to scale back its military “Covid Support Force” by standing down thousands of troops who had been placed on high readiness.
    More than 20,000 armed forces personnel from all three services were put on alert in March to help the government response to Covid-19.
    However, only about 4,000 have so far been deployed – fulfilling tasks such as helping construct the Nightingale temporary hospitals, delivering protective equipment and carrying out testing. Their work will continue.
    But thousands of other service personnel who have not been used will now resume normal duties. The MoD is expected to issue a statement later today confirming that the Covid Support Force will be reduced to fewer than 10,000 personnel.

    Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's prison furlough extended

    More on British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

    Zaghari-Ratcliffe's family has just said that her furlough from Tehran's prison has again been extended.
    She was allowed temporarily release alongside tens of thousands of others from Iran's norotious Evin prison to limit the risk from coronavirus.
    Zaghari-Ratcliffe is quoted as saying that the prosecutor's office told her she would stay free until a decision is made on her clemency.

    Philippines police raid illegal hospital

    Police in the Philippines have raided a small illegal hospital and a pharmacy that were secretly treating Chinese nationals suspected of having the coronavirus, the Associated Press reports, quoting police officials.
    Two people were arrested during the raid at a residential villa that had been converted into a seven-bed hospital, police said. One patient was found in the building.
    More than 200 suspected coronavirus rapid test kits and syringes were also recovered from rubbish bins at the villa.
    Those arrested were a Chinese hospital administrator and a person who manned the pharmacy, police said. The male Chinese patient has been moved to a local hospital.
    The illegal facility, north-west of the capital Manila, is believed to have been in operation for about three months, officials said.

    'Double the sentence' for people who cough on key workers

    LBC
    Home Secretary Priti Patel told LBC radio that she plans to "double the sentences" for people convicted of deliberately coughing on key workers to put them at risk of catching Covid-19.
    "They will feel the full force of the law," she said. "We’ve seen some people be convicted and rightly."
    Ms Patel said she was looking "right now" to increase sentencing powers.
    Coughing or spitting at someone if it is intended to cause harm or fear can be prosecuted as common assault, with a maximum sentence of six months in prison or two years if it is against an emergency worker on duty.
    Last month, railway station worker Belly Mujinga died after being spat at by a man claiming to have Covid-19.
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    Post by Kitkat Wed 20 May 2020, 15:28

    'Catastrophe' in Russia's Dagestan region

    Local officials in Russia's Dagestan region have described the situation there as a "catastrophe", with reports of a rising death toll and serious shortages of equipment.
    Officially, the region has recorded 36 deaths from the virus and more than 3,600 cases but health officials say hundreds more have died of pneumonia, including 40 medics.
    The top cleric in the majority-Muslim region appealed directly to the Kremlin for aid, prompting President Vladimir Putin to personally promise help for the region on Monday. UFC fighter and Dagestan native Khabib Nurmagomedov has even spoken out about the problems there.
    On Wednesday Russia's confirmed cases rose above 300,000 and the country reported a record daily rise in deaths of 135, bringing the total toll to 2,972.
    Infections however are slowing, with the daily rise in cases the lowest since 1 May. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin - who has only just returned to work after contracting the virus - has said the country is entering a more stable phase of its outbreak, but warned of the need to lift restrictions with care.

    McDonald's opens drive-through branches in UK

    Fast food chain McDonald's has opened 33 drive-through restaurants in the UK – but customers are being limited to spending £25 per car.
    The branches, mostly in the south-east of England, have Perspex screens installed and staff have been given protective equipment, the company says. The number of workers on each site has also been reduced and temperature checks are being carried out before each shift, it adds.
    McDonald's bosses hope to reopen all their drive-through sites over the next month.
    Last week a drive-through Burger King in Scotland had to temporarily halt its reopening as police were called to deal with the build-up of traffic.

    Spain's PM under fire as he looks to extend state of emergency

    Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has asked parliament to extend the country's state of emergency for another two weeks, drawing fierce criticism from opposition parties.
    Mr Sanchez told parliament the extension was necessary to protect communities because the threat from coronavirus had not gone away.
    He defended his government’s response to the pandemic, but apologised to Spanish citizens for any mistakes his government had made.
    The government wants to extend the state of alarm for a fifth time to 7 June when it expires on Saturday.
    Spain’s main opposition party, the conservative People's Party, said it would not vote for the extension, putting its passage through parliament in doubt.
    The party’s leader, Pablo Casado, delivered a withering assessment of Mr Sanchez’s handling of the epidemic.
    In a speech to lawmakers, Mr Casado said coronavirus-related deaths in Spain were still equivalent to "a plane crash every day", calling Mr Sanchez’s plan a “failure”.
    Spain recorded a further 83 deaths on Tuesday, bringing the total to 27,778, the fifth highest in the world.


    Frazzled by Starmer, Johnson drops the restrained tone

    (Prime Ministers Questions in Parliament today)
    Iain Watson - Political correspondent
    It seemed that Boris Johnson was somewhat exasperated and frazzled by the persistent questioning from Keir Starmer.
    Usually the tone is pretty restrained because of the scale of the crisis that the government, and indeed opposition, are dealing with. But this time he made quite a few pops at Starmer.
    He variously accused him of feigning ignorance, he urged him to abandon a slightly negative tone, he accused him of not listening to the answers he was given and he criticised his questions for being well-rehearsed - although it’s been a measure of Starmer that he’s quite fleet of foot in responding to what the prime minister says rather than just sticking to a script.
    Although the chamber is socially distanced with few MPs in there - a maximum of 50 - it seemed that from the Conservative benches more noise was also being made.

    UK speaker asks minister if he wants to leave chamber

    It's not unheard of for ministers to subtly offer advice on their brief to the prime minister during questions.
    But when the Health Secretary Matt Hancock was heard at Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions offering his advice to Boris Johnson, he earned a ticking-off from the speaker of the house.

    UK contact tracing will be in place by 1 June, PM says

    At Prime Minister's Questions today, Boris Johnson promised the UK would have in place a "world-beating" system to test and trace people who may have been exposed to coronavirus.
    He said 24,000 out of 25,000 contact tracers had already been recruited, referring to teams of people who identify who has been in contact with a person who contracted coronavirus, to notify them so they don't infect others.
    But Mr Johnson did not mention the contact-tracing mobile phone app trialled on the Isle of Wight, which uses Bluetooth to detect and record other app users and notifies you if you've been near someone who later develops symptoms.
    BBC health correspondent Nick Triggle says that what launches on 1 June will effectively be a prototype track-and-trace system, not a fully functioning one. While contact tracers will be available, the app may not be ready on day one, he adds.
    Read the full story.



    NHS England reports 166 more hospital deaths

    A further 166 people in England who tested positive for Covid-19 have died, NHS England has announced. It brings the confirmed coronavirus deaths in English hospitals to 25,080.
    Scotland reported another 50 deaths, bringing its total number of confirmed deaths to 2,184.
    Five further deaths were recorded in Northern Ireland, while 14 more people in Wales died after testing positive for the virus.
    The UK-wide total, due to be published later, may differ because it is calculated over a different time-frame and includes deaths in all settings.

    Teachers have their say on English school plans

    Coronavirus - 20th May C2293060-8218-4892-b1ef-1c3f540ae683
    BBC Radio 5 Live
    As well as parents, teachers got in touch with BBC Radio 5 Live this morning to have their say on plans to reopen primary schools in England to some pupils from 1 June. Listen again on BBC Sounds.
    Gemma is a teaching assistant at a junior school in Hemel Hempstead. She's been going into school anyway, as have her children, and says she’s "probably more anxious for my own children than I am for myself because they’re going to be around more children… As a parent you just instinctively worry regardless of what science is telling us”.
    School governor and teacher Matthew (not his real name) says that not knowing how many pupils will come back is proving challenging.
    “Informally, from conversations with colleagues and parents, there are a lot of parents who would be reluctant to send their children back in,” he says, “so you’re looking at potential occupancy of between 40 – 70%. That will add to the workload of schools because we’re having to prepare as though we’ll receive 100% of the pupils on the roster”.
    Jo is a teacher at a private school but also has two children at primary school, one with underlying health conditions.
    She says she understands people’s concerns but: “We have to go with the science, and the science suggests it is low risk.
    “Being in school is more than just learning, it’s their mental wellbeing, it’s their social and emotional development. It’s how they're going to be independent.
    “It’s very important for vulnerable children, but it’s important for all children."
    She says she feels “very cross” about some of the language being used around the debate. "I feel that is feeding into parents' fear. We have over a week still to get ready and we can do that."

    Iran reports more than 2,000 new cases for third day running

    Iran’s president has said the country is “on the verge of curbing” its coronavirus outbreak, despite recording more than 2,000 new cases for the third consecutive day.
    A further 64 deaths and 2,346 infections were confirmed on Wednesday, the country’s health ministry said.
    In total, the country has reported 7,183 deaths and 126,949 cases since the outbreak began in February, but foreign experts believe the true figures could be higher.
    New cases have been on the rise since the beginning of May, a trend the health ministry has attributed to a ramped-up testing regime.
    But on Wednesday, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani told a cabinet meeting that the country had been “progressing at every step in the past three months”.
    He said the country was “on the verge of curbing this disease” even if some provinces were in an “unfavourable situation”.
    How an Iranian airline 'helped spread coronavirus'

    Spain toughens decree on mask-wearing

    Wearing masks is being made compulsory in public spaces in Spain, both indoors and out, if social distancing is not possible.
    Only children under six and people with health issues are exempt from the law, which comes into force on Thursday.
    Many European countries have now made wearing masks a requirement on public transport but the Spanish decree goes further.
    Spain has seen one of the worst Covid-19 outbreaks in Europe - with almost 28,000 deaths - but is now easing the lockdown gradually.
    Read more here.

    Latest Chinese cases suggest virus could be changing

    Kerry Allen - BBC Monitoring, Chinese Media Analyst
    Experts in China say the Covid-19 patients they are seeing in the north-east of the country show “different symptoms" and require “longer incubation” than those in the central city of Wuhan at the beginning of the country's outbreak. Qiu Haibo, one of the country’s top critical care doctors in the National Health Commission’s top medical team, spoke on the national CCTV-13 news channel about the fresh observations his team were making. Dr Qiu said his team were seeing new cases in north-eastern Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces had a longer incubation period, and their clinical symptoms were not typical.
    They don’t have a fever, he said, but are suffering from either fatigue or a sore throat. Some have no symptoms at all. He added that the new cases appeared to be carrying the virus for much longer.
    According to the national Global Times newspaper, “tests on Wuhan patients normally came back negative within a week or at most two weeks” after a patient shows symptoms.
    But now, even though the cases are more curable, people appear to be carrying the virus for “longer periods”. According to the official Xinhua news agency, 25 people are currently receiving treatment in hospital in north-eastern Jilin.
    Heilongjiang province discharged its last patient on Saturday.

    Indian domestic flights to resume next week

    Domestic flights in India will resume on Monday 25 May after a two-month break because of the coronavirus pandemic.
    India suspended all international and local air travel on 25 March before it went into lockdown to curb Covid-19 infections.
    There has been no announcement about when international flights could resume.

    What's the latest?

    Our lead story on Wednesday is the rapid spread of coronavirus in Brazil. Despite a jump of 1,179 deaths - a daily record - President Jair Bolsonaro says the virus does not pose significant risks to the country.
    The other top stories from around the world include:

    • Spain has introduced Europe's strictest rules on wearing face masks - everyone over six must wear face coverings inside or outside where social distancing is not possible. Only those with health conditions are exempt
    • Russia's Dagestan region is seeing a "catastrophic" situation, say local officials, with reports of a rising death toll and serious shortages of equipment
    • The Dutch government says it is "plausible" that an employee at a mink farm contracted Covid-19 from one of the animals
    • San Francisco, US, has announced two more "safe sleeping villages" where homeless people can set up tents while practising social distancing
    • And in Afghanistan, an all-girls robotics team has made ventilators out of car parts


    Your US round-up today

    Here's what's happening in the US, which has the world's highest number of confirmed Covid-19 infections, on Wednesday:

    • The US justice department has warned Californian Governor Gavin Newsom that the Sunshine State's coronavirus rules may violate religious freedoms, saying "there is no pandemic exception to the US Constitution"
    • Highways have been emptier during the pandemic but they have also been more deadly, says the National Safety Council
    • A Waffle House restaurant worker says he was shot after telling a customer to wear a mask
    • And hundreds of McDonald's workers across 20 cities are planning to strike today for better coronavirus protection
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    Post by Kitkat Wed 20 May 2020, 17:19

    Trump says he may ask leaders to gather for G7 summit

    US President Donald Trump says he is considering hosting the G7 summit at Camp David after it was previously moved online amid the coronavirus pandemic.
    The in-person gathering of world leaders was due to be held between 10-12 June at Camp David, the country retreat for the US president in Maryland.
    The meeting was rescheduled to a video conference, but Mr Trump said it would be "a great sign to all" if it was held at its original location.
    "I am considering rescheduling the G7, on the same or similar date, in Washington, DC, at the legendary Camp David,” he wrote in a post on Twitter. “The other members are also beginning their comeback. It would be a great sign to all - normalization!”

    Germany to ban temporary abattoir workers amid pandemic

    Germany has agreed a proposal to ban the use of temporary workers at slaughterhouses following a spate of coronavirus infections.
    Hundreds of people working at abattoirs across Germany and France have tested positive in recent weeks, while many workers have arrived from Romania on flights chartered by farmers.
    Health experts are looking at possible reasons for the outbreaks, including overcrowded accommodation and cold conditions at processing facilities.
    On Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet agreed a draft proposal preventing subcontractors - largely migrant workers - from processing meat at plants from January 2021.
    Meanwhile, the United States faces a major meat shortage due to infections among staff at processing plants.
    Read more on the predicament in the US, and here's a long read from our reporter Jessica Lussenhop, on one outbreak at a pork factory in South Dakota.

    Spain issues new rules on compulsory face masks

    We mentioned earlier that Spain had introduced strict rules on wearing face coverings in public. Here's a bit more detail:
    Everyone must wear face coverings in places such as shops, offices, restaurants and public transport, and outdoors if social distancing is not possible. The only exemptions are for children under six and people with health issues such as asthma or anxiety. But they are still recommended for children aged three to five.
    The rules come into force on Thursday.
    The Spanish government says wearing masks is justified as it blocks the transmission of infected droplets in areas where safe distances cannot be guaranteed.
    The rules elsewhere in Europe are:

    • Masks should be worn in shops and on public transport in most parts of Germany, Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic
    • Slovakia and the Czech Republic are extending that rule to include offices too
    • Greece says masks should be worn in shops, on transport, in enclosed spaces and by tour guides

    Here's a guide on how to make your own face mask.
    And for those in the UK, here's the latest guidance on the advice for different parts of the country.

    Sweden to investigate care homes

    A national review of medical treatment in care homes has been announced in Sweden. It follows concerns - reported by the BBC on Tuesday - that some regions have not automatically made oxygen available for patients.
    Care home residents account for nearly half of deaths linked to Covid-19 in Sweden.
    The government's health and social care inspectorate (IVO) said it had carried out preliminary checks on 1,000 homes in April and found “serious deficiencies” in the care given to one in 10 residents.
    “What we have seen and what has been reported in the media is serious,” said IVO director general Sofia Wallström in a statement.
    Further checks are planned at all 1,700 care homes for elderly residents across Sweden during the first two weeks of June.

    UK Parliament to be 'Covid-19 secure workplace' by 2 June

    Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg is sticking by a plan to make MPs return to Parliament next month, after five weeks of remote working.
    Despite claims from opposition MPs that returning would be irresponsible and put them at risk, he said working via video link was making it harder for the Commons to scrutinise and pass new laws.
    But he said progress was being made on making Parliament “a Covid-19 secure workplace”, with measures to keep MPs two metres apart in the usually packed division lobbies.
    "We will not be returning to the crowded, bustling chamber of old," Mr Rees-Mogg said.
    Read the full story

    UK briefing due at 17:00

    It’s being led, for the first time during the outbreak, by Oliver Dowden. He is secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport.
    Alongside him will be Professor Stephen Powis, medical director of NHS England, who in contrast is something of a veteran of the No 10 press conferences.

    BBC reporter's gift of shoes to migrant goes viral

    An interview with a jobless migrant took an unexpected turn for BBC Hindi's Salman Ravi.
    Like many thousands of others in India who have lost their work because of the pandemic, the man was facing a long journey home with his family.
    But as Salman discovered, this worker was planning to walk 600km (370 miles) barefoot.
    "They were completely broken, physically and mentally. I couldn't just witness it any more," said Salman. Video of the BBC reporter handing the man his shoes has since gone viral.
    India has announced that domestic flights will resume but train and bus services are still disrupted in many areas, leaving migrant workers no choice but to walk.
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    Post by Kitkat Wed 20 May 2020, 21:07

    What we learned from today’s UK briefing

    Here's a recap of the main points from the Downing Street briefing, led for the first time by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden:

    • The Queen's Birthday Honours List has been delayed until the autumn, so that people who have made a contribution to the coronavirus crisis can be recognised with a mark of "national gratitude"
    • Mr Dowden pledged £150m from dormant bank accounts to support social enterprises
    • A task force has been set up to examine how to resume sports and arts activities without crowds, featuring figures from football, TV, the arts and technology
    • The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 has fallen below 10,000 for the first time since March


    • Mr Dowden denied that issues with infections in care homes have been "glossed over", saying that testing was available "right from the very beginning” and the number of infections was coming down
    • Mr Dowden said talks about the Premier League playing behind closed doors could create a "win-win" by allowing additional matches to be broadcast free-to-air. He said existing TV rights could be respected, but concerns about competing with matchday attendances would be removed


    Largest daily rise in global cases

    While the pandemic is slowing in parts of Europe and Asia, it is still very much growing globally. 106,000 new cases of coronavirus were reported to the World Health Organization in the past 24 hours - that's the most since the outbreak began.
    Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus revealed the numbers at the WHO regular briefing. Two-thirds of those cases came from just four countries, he said.
    The global tally of cases is nearing five million, with more than 324,000 deaths, according to figures collected by Johns Hopkins university.
    The US currently has the most cases, with 1.5m, followed by Russia, Brazil and the UK.

    Oxfam to shut down offices in 18 countries

    Oxfam has said it will shut down its offices in 18 countries, putting hundreds of jobs at risk, as the financial strain of the coronavirus crisis takes its toll.
    The UK-based charity said the pandemic had forced it to bring forward a planned reorganisation of its global operations.
    The changes, announced on Wednesday, will affect around 1,450 out of 5,000 programme staff, and 700 out of 1,900 partner organisations, the charity said.
    The charity said it will retain its physical presence in 48 countries, while honouring its existing commitments to partners and donors.
    “We’ve been planning this for some time but we are now accelerating key decisions in light of the effects of the global pandemic,” Chema Vera, Oxfam’s international interim executive director, said in a statement.
    She gave a bleak account of Oxfam’s finances, explaining how shop closures and cancelled fund-raising events had led to a loss of income.
    “The coronavirus has made Oxfam’s work helping the world’s most vulnerable people more vital than ever while, at the same time, it is impacting on our capacity to deliver,” Vera said.
    “We are enormously grateful to our donors and supporters whose continuing generosity is helping us rise to this unprecedented challenge.”
    Read more: Virus-hit charities 'need substantial support'

    'NYPD has almost half the infection rate of NYC' - Cuomo

    It's never a dull moment in New York governor Andrew Cuomo's daily press briefings.
    After announcing that the number of new hospitalisations in New York state continues to be on a downward trend, the governor stopped to make a point about wearing face masks.
    "It seems like a simple thing, wearing a mask," he said. "It's apparently so simple that people think it's of no consequence.
    "It is amazing how effective that mask actually is. Look at the facts. What shocks me to this day... how do nurses and doctors have a lower infection rate than the general population?
    "How do police officers have a lower infection rate? How does the NYPD have almost half the infection rate than New York City? They're wearing the masks.
    "The mask works. Those surgical masks work."
    Cuomo has previously said that healthcare workers in New York are not more likely than the general public to test positive for Covid-19.
    In England and Wales, the ONS has also found that healthcare workers are not more likely to die of Covid-19 than general workers - but that those working in social care are twice as likely to die.

    Being in prison during a pandemic

    Coronavirus - 20th May 276fec6c-6dd1-44d0-82b3-0b5b6542051c  BBC OS

    Around the world, many short-term inmates have been released early or temporarily to help contain the spread of Covid-19 in prisons.
    Jessica Vicsik, 25, was one of those released temporarily from Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Michigan, US, on 15 April.
    “It’s a nightmare in there," she told BBC OS. "We can’t go in or out. The guards, doctors and nurses come in and out every day, and that’s how we were getting [Covid-19]. They didn’t start wearing protective equipment for a couple of weeks.
    “We pregnant women – four of us were trapped inside with no doors open, no windows, and it was affecting us. I was told it’s so much worse out here, which it is because there’s a lot more people and it’s open. But at the same time, that’s our family. We know where our people are going – we don’t know where they (the guards) are going.”
    In response, a representative for the facility said: “The CDC (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines said people did not have to wear masks at the beginning of this outbreak. When the guidance changed from the federal government, we provided every prisoner and every prison employee with three masks and required they wear them every day.
    "We have also done mass testing at nearly every prison in the state and by the end of this week we will have tested every prisoner in the state, making us the first state in the country to do so.”

    Tourism and abattoirs - the latest from Europe

    Greece restarts its tourism industry and Germany cleans up its abattoirs. Here’s the latest from Europe:


    All 50 US states make steps toward reopening

    After Connecticut lifted some restrictions today, every US state has now partially reopened after a two-month shutdown.
    There are huge differences between how different states have reopened, with Maryland allowing outdoor areas like beaches to reopen, while Georgia residents can get a haircut and Oklahoma is allowing people to get tattoos.
    The District of Columbia is yet to announce its reopening.
    There have now been more than 92,000 coronavirus-related deaths in the United States.

    NHS England official cautions against buying antibody tests

    People have been cautioned against using coronavirus antibody tests being sold by some retailers.
    NHS England's medical director Prof Stephen Powis said experts were "evaluating" antibody tests, which aim to show if someone has already had the virus.
    Such tests are not yet available through the NHS, but some are being sold commercially.
    "I would caution against using any tests... without knowing quite how good those tests are," said Prof Powis.
    Read more here.

    Britons enjoy hottest day of year so far

    People across the UK have been enjoying glorious sunny weather, with the country recording its hottest day of the year so far.
    Temperatures reached 27.8C (82F) near London's Heathrow Airport, and sunbathers across England enjoyed new-found freedom following the slight easing of virus lockdown restrictions.
    Cars from "all over the country" were reported in traffic gridlock in north Devon on Wednesday, police said.
    While Northern Ireland has also seen some modest changes to its lockdown, restrictions in Scotland and Wales regarding enjoying the outdoors have not been eased.

    Macau police reject Tiananmen massacre vigil

    Police in Macau - a special administrative region of China - have rejected a request to hold an annual Tiananmen Square massacre vigil, citing concerns over the coronavirus, local media report.
    It will the first time in 30 years that the vigil will not take place, according to Macau Business.
    The group that organises the vigil, the Democratic Development Union (DDU), said it would challenge the decision in court.
    Macau, a former Portuguese colony and a near neighbour of Hong Kong, has not had any new cases of Covid-19 for 41 days, reports say.
    Vigils are held annually in Macau and Hong Kong to commemorate the victims of Tiananmen Square.

    The victims were students and workers who, in 1989, occupied Beijing's Tiananmen Square in a massive pro-democracy protest. Many were killed in a brutal clampdown by the communist authorities.
    On Tuesday, Hong Kong authorities extended social-distancing measures until at least 4 June, throwing plans for mass gatherings to mark the occasion into doubt.
    Coronavirus - 20th May 3cb77a10
    Thousands of people gather annually for mass candlelit vigils in Hong Kong and Macau



    Bolivian health minister investigated over ventilators

    Bolivia's health minister is being investigated over the purchase of overpriced ventilators for Covid-19 patients.
    Marcelo Navajas and four other officials are being questioned by police about the purchase of some 170 ventilators from a Spanish firm.
    The health ministry allegedly paid around $27,000 (£22,000; €25,000) for each ventilator, when their real price was reportedly $10,000-$12,000.
    Mr Navajas earlier told leading Bolivian newspaper La Razon the purchase had been "transparent".
    The Latin American country has reported 4,481 cases of coronavirus and 189 deaths.

    South Africa deaths 'to soar' in coming months

    At least 40,000 people could die with coronavirus in South Africa by the end of the year, scientists have warned.
    The projections were made by a modelling consortium set up to help government planning over the outbreak and assume that tough restrictions will be eased from 1 June, as President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced.
    The curbs - which include a ban on alcohol and tobacco sales - have been credited with slowing the spread of the virus, with 17,200 cases and 312 deaths reported so far, way less than the figures in Spain, which has a smaller population.
    While President Ramaphosa has said lockdown regulations would be eased from "level 4" to "level 3" from early June, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has said that according to the World Health Organization, South Africa is not yet ready for level 3 because infections continue to rise every day.
    The opposition party is taking the government to court, arguing that the stringent regulations are unwarranted and the ban on alcohol and tobacco sales should be lifted.

    Maximum lockdown fines rise to £1,920 in Wales

    Maximum fines in Wales for breaching lockdown will rise to £1,920, the Welsh Government has confirmed.
    First Minister Mark Drakeford has faced calls to raise the penalties to deter breaches.
    Initial fines will remain at £60, but will double for each subsequent offence up to the sixth occurrence.
    But Plaid Cymru police and crime commissioners say calls to match England's higher fines structure - starting at £100 - have been rejected.

    Evening UK update

    If you're just joining us, a very warm welcome to our continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
    Here are the latest stories from the UK this evening:


    • Boris Johnson says the UK will have a "world-beating" contact-tracing system from 1 June
    • Family members of non-British NHS support staff and care workers who die with coronavirus can stay in the UK permanently, it has been announced
    • There's to be a new taskforce to help get live sport and creative industries in the UK back on their feet
    • Derby-based aerospace firm Rolls-Royce has announced it is cutting nearly a fifth of its workforce worldwide and warned it will take "several years" for the airline industry to recover from the coronavirus pandemic
    • If you're in need of some life-affirming viewing during this pandemic, watch the moment a couple who have been married for almost 72 years are reunited after weeks apart

    Read the full evening briefing here.

    Pandemic controls hamper Cyclone Amphan response


    Coronavirus - 20th May C55e2910
    Indian emergency workers in masks cleared fallen trees in Digha

    Coronavirus restrictions have been hampering emergency and relief efforts in eastern India and Bangladesh where a super cyclone has made violent landfall, killing at least 15 people as it lashed coastal communities with ferocious wind and rain.
    Cyclone Amphan uprooted trees and toppled homes in both countries, including in the Indian city of Kolkata in West Bengal.
    Nearly 3m people were evacuated - most of them in Bangladesh - before the storm hit.
    Covid-19 and social-distancing measures have made mass evacuations more difficult for authorities, with shelters unable to be used to full capacity.
    The storm is expected to have caused deadly storm surges although its winds have now weakened.
    Read more.
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    Post by Kitkat Wed 20 May 2020, 22:57

    Brazil authorises use of controversial anti-malarial drugs

    Two controversial anti-malarial drugs have been approved for use in coronavirus patients by Brazil's health ministry. No conclusive evidence exists that the two drugs, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, are effective in treating Covid-19.
    Patients will need to sign a waiver recognising the potential side effects.
    In March Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro claimed on social media that hydroxychloroquine was totally effective in treating the virus - Facebook and Twitter later deleted his posts for spreading fake news.
    On Monday US President Donald Trump announced he had been taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventative measure.
    But the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says the drug has "not been shown to be safe and effective".
    "We need larger, high-quality randomised clinical trials in order to better evaluate their effectiveness," says University of Oxford's Kome Gbinigie, author of a report on anti-malarial testing for Covid-19.
    There are risks of serious side effects from the drugs, affecting the eyes and the heart among other organs.

    Protests in Spain as state of emergency extended

    Protestors in Spain have continued their nightly banging of pots and pans as the government extended the national state of emergency for the fifth time. Spaniards against the coronavirus restrictions register their dissatisfaction with the country's left-wing minority government every day at 21:00 local time.
    The state of emergency has been extended for a further two weeks. Shops have begun to open in most of the country apart from Barcelona and Madrid, but travel between provinces remains limited.
    Spain is one of the hardest-hit countries by coronavirus and had one of the strictest lockdowns, with children kept indoors for six weeks. Nearly 28,000 people have died from Covid-19.
    On Thursday, new rules about wearing face masks come into force. It will be compulsory for everyone to wear a mask indoors and outdoors where social distancing is not possible - the exemptions are children under six and people with health conditions, including asthma and anxiety. But children aged three to five are still encouraged to wear face coverings.

    How do you keep people apart in a disaster rescue?

    Jessica Murphy, BBC News, Toronto
    Coronavirus - 20th May 44efc210
    Fire fighters will have to adjust how they work amid the pandemic

    Officials across North America are grappling with planning for floods, wildfires, hurricanes, severe heat waves and other extreme weather events this summer alongside the pandemic.
    The considerations necessary are wide-ranging, from managing already strained resources to sourcing extra protective equipment and figuring out the logistics of safely evacuating at-risk populations - even how to cajole evacuees, who might be fearful of catching the virus, from their homes.
    This week, 10,000 residents were evacuated in Michigan after two dams collapsed following days of heavy rain.
    Governor Gretchen Whitmer, noting the city of Midland in the US state could see historic high water levels, said: "To go through this in the midst of a global pandemic is almost unthinkable."
    Read more.

    Restoring hope in the London community worst-hit by virus

    Michael Buchanan - Social Affairs Correspondent, BBC News
    Coronavirus - 20th May A20a9610
    Anwar Hussain Oli, Dr Louisa Rajakumari and Dr Yusuf Patel are among those who have died

    Newham in east London has the highest death rate from coronavirus in England and Wales.
    For much of April, one of its residents, Ghouse Fazaluddin, was consumed by one thought: "We couldn't just stand back and watch our dead be buried in mass graves."
    Using his background as a telecoms project manager, he set to work.
    A WhatsApp group was created and volunteers from the Jamia mosque in Newham, east London, where Mr Fazaluddin is a trustee, were recruited.
    The task in hand was essential, but grim.
    There had been so many deaths that a backlog of bodies had built up and people were required to prepare each person for burial.
    Mr Fazaluddin says: "The common goal was, we cannot forget our deceased, we cannot just leave them to be buried without the ritual washing that takes place, and that people's dignity, the dignity of the deceased, was preserved."
    Read more on Newham

    22:50

    That's all for now


    We're pausing our live coverage, but it won't be long before our colleagues in Asia take over from us in London.
    Although some countries are easing their lockdowns, the pandemic is still growing at a fast rate globally. The World Health Organization has reported the biggest rise in new coronavirus infections in a single day.
    The other top stories on Wednesday are:

    • A super cyclone has made violent landfall in eastern India and Bangladesh, but coronavirus restrictions are making mass evacuations very difficult and hampering relief efforts
    • From Thursday, it will be compulsary to wear a mask in Spain inside and outside where social distancing is not possible
    • The World Bank warns 60m more people could be pushed into "extreme poverty"
    • All 50 US states have now partially lifted lockdown, and guidelines on how to re-open have been released by the CDC
    • Brazil's health ministry has approved two controversial anti-malarial drugs to treat Covid-19 despite a lack of evidence for their efficacy; the country has the fourth largest number of cases in the world
    • Sweden will review its medical treatment in care homes, after it was revealed patients were not being given oxygen
    • And, if you have a couple of minutes, watch this video looking at how Britain’s Jewish community has been disproportionately affected - it lost "beacon of light" 20-year-old Yechiel Yosef Rothschild last week


    Our team of journalists based around the world and in different timezones write this live coverage.
    Today they have been: Claudia Allen, Claire Heald, Joel Gunter, Patrick Jackson, David Walker, Georgina Rannard, Joshua Nevett, Tom Gerken, Yaroslav Lukov, Ben Collins, Emlyn Begley, Francis Keogh, Gavin Stamp, Joseph Lee, Paul Seddon, Robin Levinson-King, Aparna Alluri, Yvette Tan, Saira Asher, Andreas Illmer.


    Thanks for reading!
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    Coronavirus - 20th May Empty Re: Coronavirus - 20th May

    Post by Kitkat Wed 20 May 2020, 23:44

    Dublin-based firm’s rapid COVID-19 test which delivers results within one hour gets EU approval

    by Jack Beresford - Irish Post

    A GAME-CHANGING test for COVID-19, which produces results within one hour has been approved for sale in the European Economic Area. 
    The test, created by Dublin-based HiberGene Diagnostics, works by mixing a patient's sample with a solution that is heated for five minutes before a freeze-fried reagent is applied to it. 
    It is then put through a portable diagnostic instrument, capable of carrying up to four test samples concurrently, which delivers results in 10 minutes. 
    On average, positive results can be returned within 30 minutes while negative readings are confirmed within 60 minutes, enabling rapid diagnosis of the virus. 
    The project, which is supported by a grant of €930,000 from Horizon 2020, the EU programme for research and development, has been hailed as a game-changer because of the speed and low costs associated with it. 
    Crucially, the test does not require any specialised reagents to strip DNA from samples prior to testing. 
    These in-demand reagents have been in scarce supply across Ireland, resulting in a delay in testing. 
    Now, following the results of a clinical evaluation study at the Mater Private Hospital in Dublin,  HiberGene Diagnostics has been given the CE mark, which is handed to products sold in the European Economic Area that meet high safety, health, and environmental protection requirements. 
    Seamus Gorman, CEO of HiberGene, said: "HiberGene has responded to this global challenge by leveraging our proprietary technology to accelerate the development of an accurate and reliable test for Covid-19.” 
    Mr Gorman highlighted the versatility of the new test system, which is suitable for use in either decentralised facilities requiring rapid molecular tests for screening or in centralised labs where additional tests for confirmation or out of hours testing is needed, 
    "The support of the EU through the Horizon 2020 programme has been instrumental in delivering this project," he added. 
    "It is exciting to see HiberGene, who are at the forefront of innovation in the delivery of molecular testing for human infectious diseases, use its technology to develop this diagnostic device, which will help address the urgent global demand for testing with fast results," commented Julie Sinnamon, CEO of Enterprise Ireland. 
     
    Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, European Commission, said highlighted the project as a great example of EU research in action.  
    "I am encouraged to see that these researchers have risen to the challenge, developed this new diagnostic system so fast, and delivered on one of the aims of our first emergency call. It's crucial to diagnose coronavirus more quickly and more accurately, as it reduces the risk of further spread of the virus," she said.

      Current date/time is Thu 28 Mar 2024, 18:50