COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 2nd April

Some sad milestones today. Over 1 million people have now tested positive for COVID-19 in the world, and over 50,000 people have lost their lives. The USA have become the first country to report over 200,000 cases and Spain are the 2nd country to lose over 10,000 people. A much better milestone is that over 200,000 people have now recovered from COVID-19.

The UK added 4,244 cases today and now has reported a total of 33,718 positive cases of COVID-19. We had in total tested 163,194 people as of 9am this morning.

As of 5pm yesterday, of those hospitalised in the UK, we have lost another 569 people to COVID-19. We now sadly have a total of 2,921 losses of life.

Total cases are: England 28,221, Scotland 2,602, Wales 2,121 and Northern Ireland 774. Already 135 of the UK's positive testing cases have recovered (it'll be more than that, they just aren't reporting them/testing people to see if they've recovered).

Rep. Of Ireland have 3,849 cases and 98 losses of life.

There have now been 1,001,958 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is now 51,432. Already 210,273 people have recovered.


Today's UK Press Briefing was with Matt Hancock the Health Secretary - all better and out of isolation jail.
He started by announcing he would write off £13.4bn of historic NHS debt. (Remind me again how the NHS can owe the Government money?)
He says they have fixed the issues with shortages of swabs and reagents. Hospital patients will continue to receive priority for testing, and critical NHS staff next, then all NHS staff.
The way they'll be able to test more people is due to a newly launched service for swab testing alongside other agencies (such as Boots) - again NHS staff will be first in line.
The antibody (did I have it?) tests are being made by 9 different companies and nearing completion. We will have ability to test 3500 people a week and will start sampling populations as soon as possible.
I'm impressed. No, I'm not. That was a joke. It's all wishes and promises, although the next one was at least more positive. By the end of the month they have set a target of 100k tests a day - this includes all tests.

Prof Stephen Powis of NHS England updated us on hospital admissions. London is under pressure and the midlands is also feeling the strain, but the overspill hospitals are not yet necessary. As of last night there were 1821 spare critical care beds in the NHS.
Prof John Newton, coordinator of the national testing effort reiterated what had been said. He explained to the press that the antibody (did I have it?) tests don't work until you've recovered and your body has created antibodies, so around a month after you were ill.
Press asked Matt Hancock how he managed to get a test. It's kind of obvious - he's Matt Hancock, Secretary of State. He answered well when asked about Premier League footballers being retained on full pay while other football ground staff were furloughed. He expressed disappointment. "We all have a part to play".
When asked if a second wave of infection is inevitable - we simply can't predict.
Tomorrow there will be news on additional Nightingale Hospitals in the UK

The UK will be 'clapping for carers' at 8pm every Thursday. NHS and other emergency workers have an awful time ahead and will be taking the most personal risk, so they get my biggest clap, but our world is turning because of lots of people. We have clean shops with food (and the money to buy it), power, communication, transport, childcare, empty bins, loo roll and lots more due to every single essential service worker who has to step outside their home, so that we can sit safer in ours. Thank you all.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 1st April

The UK added 4,324 cases today and now has reported a total of 29,474 positive cases of COVID-19. We had in total tested 152,979 people as of 9am this morning.

As of 5pm yesterday, of those hospitalised in the UK, we have lost another 563 people to COVID-19. We now sadly have a total of 2,352 losses of life.

Total cases are: England 24,638, Scotland 2,310, Wales 1,837 and Northern Ireland 689. Already 135 of the UK's positive testing cases have recovered (it'll be more than that, they just aren't spending time testing people to see if they've recovered).

Rep. Of Ireland have 3,447 cases and 85 losses of life.

There have now been 912,097 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is now 45,539. Already 190,933 people have recovered.


“None of us can say when this will end, but end it will”
Charles Mountbatten-Windsor, Baron of Renfrew.

Today's Government Press Briefing terrified victim at a podium was Alok Sharma, Secretary Of State, who repeated the fact that we need to try and keep the curve long and low, so that we don't run out of hospital beds. 10,767 people are in hospital, including 3,915 in London and 1,918 in the midlands.
He talked a lot about business, mainly reiterating promises already made and saying they will be implemented as swiftly as possible. £12b has been delivered already to Local Authorities to support business.

He was joined by Yvonne Doyle, Medical Director for Public Health England (PHE) who showed the UK has had a big increase in car usage in the last 2 days. Behave or they will lock you in further! Press questions were mainly about when testing will increase and how many tests we will perform. The answers were a bit vague, and we have short supply of a component, but they do intend to increase it as much and as quickly as possible.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 31st March

The UK added 3,009 cases today and now has reported a total of 25,150 positive cases of COVID-19. We had in total tested 143,186 people as of 9am this morning.

As of 5pm yesterday, of those hospitalised in the UK, we have lost another 381 people to COVID-19. We now sadly have a total of 1,789 losses of life.

Total cases are: England 21,008, Scotland 1,993, Wales 1,563 and Northern Ireland 586. Already 135 of the UK's positive testing cases have recovered.

Rep. Of Ireland have 2,910 cases and 54 losses of life (not yet reported).

There have now been 837,022 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is now 41,245. Already 176,040 people have recovered.



Michael Gove drew short straw again today for the daily briefing, with Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jenny Harries and Professor Stephen Powis, Medical Director of NHS England.

In London 3,915 COVID-19 patients are in hospital, in the Midlands it's 1,918. Gove talked about increasing testing and says we are negotiating the necessary components to increase both the COVID-19 'have you got it' testing, and the 'did you have it' testing when that starts.
We are buying more ventilators from abroad, as well as producing ventilators within the UK in an arrangement with companies including Ford, Airbus, Dyson, Rolls Royce and Mercedes F1.
A team from UCL will develop thousands of CPAP machines (I mentioned these yesterday) as a quick and easy method of ventilating COVID-19 patients.
The Government are delivering food and medicines to 1.5m of our most vulnerable people, and volunteers will also work with other people, including those who just need a friendly voice.
We've moved all of our helicopters around so that we can support remote members of the public and get them to hospital if they need it.

Steven Parries explained how the NHS is coping - so far it's okay.
NHS Nightingale will be ready to take patients this week.
He explained around 1/3 of the UK's hospital admissions are in London, which is the worst affected area. When asked about the large number of deaths today, he explained that it will vary and it's important to look at the pattern over a few days, rather than just one or two figures.
Jenny Harries talked about the drive-through Boots testing clinics for NHS workers, and says they are being expanded. She also talked about the possibility of postal tests to save the time of NHS employees.
There were actually interesting press questions - London has 1400 NHS ICU beds and 1000 people in Intensive Care, so we don't yet have to overflow into the NHS Nightingale Hospital. At one point Jenny Harries said 'have you got it' and 'did you have it' tests, which was a bit weird for me because I'd just typed that.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 30th March

The UK added 2,619 cases today and now has reported a total of 22,141 positive cases of COVID-19. We had in total tested 134,946 people as of 9am this morning.

As of 5pm yesterday, of those hospitalised in the UK, we have lost another 180 people to COVID-19. We now sadly have a total of 1,408 losses of life.

Total cases are: England 18,594, Scotland 1,563, Wales 1,451 and Northern Ireland 533. Already 135 of the UK's positive testing cases have recovered.

Rep. Of Ireland have 2,615 cases and 46 losses of life (not yet reported).

There have now been 764,866 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is now 36,864. Already 160,148 people have recovered.


At the UK Press conference today our rabbit in the headlights was Dominc Raab. He's the Foreign Secretary & First Secretary of State, so covered UK nationals abroad.
He reminded us 17th March the Government advised everyone against foreign travel, and on 23rd March they advised everyone to return home. There are still thousands of British travellers abroad and the UK are working with other governments, airlines and other agencies in order to try and repatriate as many people as they can, as quickly and safely as they can.
Where commercial flights are still available, book tickets and go home asap. Where commercial flights are no longer available, tens of thousands of British travellers will be flown back under £75m of new charter flight arrangements starting this week. Follow UK Embassy social media in the country you are in to keep updated.

The press questions were honestly mainly "we can't give you an answer to that" questions about figures. It wouldn't matter who was standing there, they can't tell you something we just don't know. We are still roughly following France's pattern, but we can't be precise as to whether we'll be exactly the same point as them in a few days or not. The assumption is it will be similar.

The SEC (Scottish Event Campus) in Glasgow will be our 5th temporary hospital. It will have 300 beds to start with and has capacity for 1000 patients.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 29th March

The UK added 2,433 cases today and now has reported a total of 19,522 positive cases of COVID-19. We had in total tested 127,737 people as of 9am this morning.

As of 5pm yesterday, of those hospitalised in the UK, we have lost another 209 people to COVID-19. We now sadly have a total of 1,228 losses of life.

Total cases are: England 16,486, Scotland 1,384, Wales 1,241 and Northern Ireland 410. Already 135 of the UK's positive testing cases have recovered.

Rep. Of Ireland have 2,415 cases and 36 losses of life (not yet reported).

There have now been 702,368 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is now 33,180. Already 149,219 people have recovered.


Today's unlucky dip press conference podium-sweater was the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Robert Jenrick. Luckily for him he had the only remaining UK COVID-19 lead with him, Dr Jenny Harries, Deputy Chief Medical Officer.

To be honest there wasn't a lot of real information at today's press conference and most of the press questions were ones that don't have an answer.
We simply can't give an accurate mortality rate because we really aren't sure how many people get no symptoms or are at home with mild symptoms. That's not just the UK, it's the whole world. Lowest estimates are under 1% and are very plausible. Mortality rate is far higher as soon as medical services are overwhelmed, because so many people just need some oxygen.
We can't say when any lockdown will end because we don't know yet how long cases will keep increasing. For at least as long as the NHS are at full pelt we need to stop feeding new victims to the virus, and we will stay under restrictions.

Some very sad news today as Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has confirmed that a baby under 12 months old has died from coronavirus.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 28th March

The UK added 2,546 cases today and now has reported a total of 17,089 positive cases of COVID-19. We had in total tested 120,776 people as of 9am this morning.

As of 5pm yesterday, of those hospitalised in the UK, we have lost 260 more people to COVID-19. We now sadly have a total of 1,019 losses of life.

Total cases are: England 14,427, Scotland 1,245, Wales 1,093 and Northern Ireland 324. Already 135 of the UK's positive testing cases have recovered.

Rep. Of Ireland have 2,415 cases and 36 losses of life.

There have now been 659,546 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is now 30,628. Already 141,420 people have recovered.


Today's scared chap on a podium was Alok Sharma, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, who led a mainly financial press conference:
Some competition rules have been suspended for supermarkets and IOW Ferries. (Previously they couldn't share lorries or stock.)
Annual leave will be able to be carried over for the next 2 years.
Reminder of extensions to company tax.
Insolvency system changes to keep more companies trading.
Reducing red tape for hand sanitiser producers.

Medical questions from press were put to Stephen Powis, Medical Director of NHS England:
Intensive care capacity hasn't yet been reached.
Antibody testing for NHS staff members has already begun.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will go to the front of any queue for testing.
"If we can keep the number of deaths down to 20,000 we will be doing very well".

Okay, so the UK is under lockdown. Lots of people have spent months preparing to keep you busy this Easter, and they will need to hold on to some of their plans for a while until it's safe for everyone. That doesn't mean they won't still be entertaining you though - loads of artists and others have temporarily moved online, so here are some of the people you can still be entertained by....


Z-Arts might not be open to the public, but the creative teams behind their fantastic arts projects are busy behind the scenes putting together loads of things you can do at home.

LEGOLAND Discovery Centre are doing 'Build At Home' Sessions with Masterbuilder James over on Facebook. The first was at 3pm on Friday 27th March and you're invited to give it a go too.
If you have the same bricks as James you can follow his build, or work with whatever you have to create your own awesome version. Each video will be posted on LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester's Facebook page. If you can't make it at 3pm don't worry - it will stay posted for you to access whenever you like!

HOME Manchester have the Manchester Open Exhibition online, and are creating a series of works "Artists In Isolation".

The Science Museum Group have put together an awesome site where you can view lots of the exhibits from National Collections Centre, National Railway Museum, National Science & Media Museum, Science & Industry Museum and the Science Museum.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 27th March

It's taking so much of my time to re-order everything and post every two days that it's actually easier to post every day. So I shall...

There have now been 590,015 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is now 26,939. Already 132,447 people have recovered.

The UK added 2,885 cases today and now has reported a total of 14,579 positive cases of COVID-19. We had in total tested 113,777 people as of 9am this morning.

As of 5pm yesterday, of those hospitalised in the UK, we have lost 181 more people to COVID-19. We now sadly have a total of 759 losses of life.

Total cases are: England 12,288, Scotland 1,059, Wales 921 and Northern Ireland 275. Already 135 of the UK's positive testing cases have recovered.

Rep. Of Ireland have 2,121 cases and 22 losses of life.



With the UK's COVID trinity all testing positive (if this is news to you - Surprise!! See below), Michael Gove is designated survivor and had to step up to the podium. He repeated a lot of things we've heard before and explained about the Antigen testing - which will start this weekend so that self-isolating NHS workers can find out if they actually have COVID-19 or can get back to work.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 26th March

Today worldwide cases of COVID-19 passed half a million. There are now 519,603 cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is now 23,581. Already 123,294 people have recovered.

The UK added 2,129 cases today and now has reported a total of 11,658 positive cases of COVID-19. We had in total tested 104,866 people as of 9am this morning.

The UK has lost 113 more people to COVID-19, we now sadly have a total of  578 losses of life.

Total cases are: England 9782, Scotland 894, Wales 741 and Northern Ireland 241. Already 135 of the UK's positive testing cases have recovered.

Rep. Of Ireland have 1,564 cases and 9 losses of life.(Not yet reported)

Rishi Sunak hosted today's press conference and had the promised support for the UK's Self-Employed.
He announced a new Self-Employed Income Support Scheme.
"The government will pay self-employed people, who have been adversely affected by the coronavirus, a taxable grant worth 80% of their average monthly profits over the last 3 years, up to £2,500 per month.
Open for at least 3 months across the UK, I will extend if necessary."
"You’ll be able to claim these grants and continue to do business.
It’s only open to those with trading profits up to £50,000, who make a majority of their income from self-employment. To minimise fraud only those already in self-employment, who have a tax return for 2019 can apply."
You have until the beginning of June to apply.

At 8pm tonight, open your windows and give a round of applause for our health and social care staff - lots of whom are scared as heck because they understand what is coming. Some of whom are already going through hell, in areas of London especially.
(Then continue to stay home and make life much easier for them.)


All NHS workers and social care staff will be given free car parking in hospitals, and local council on-street spaces and car parks in England to help staff carry out their vital work during the coronavirus outbreak.
About blinking time. They should never have had to pay.

The National Car Parking Group (NCP) have confirmed that they will also provide NHS staff free parking at all 150 of their car parks in England.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 24/25 March

The UK now have reported a total of 9,529 positive cases of COVID-19. We had in total tested more than 97,019 people as of 9am this morning.

The UK has a total of 463 losses of life.

Total cases are: England 7973, Scotland 719, Wales 628 and Northern Ireland 209. Already 135 of the UK's positive testing cases have recovered.

Rep. Of Ireland have 1,564 cases and 9 losses of life.

The total number of cases worldwide is now 464,683. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is now 20,942. The number of people who have already recovered is 113,802.


UK NEWS: 

At today's press conference Boris said he would talk about financial support for the self-employed tomorrow. Chris Whitty explained there is a global shortage of tests, and we are obviously falling behind. NHS workers and people in Intensive Care have priority for testing until we have an excess, then we can start testing more widely.
There was explanation about the antibody tests, which will be able to be taken a week or so after symptoms, to tell you if you definitely had COVID-19.

Boris repeated the basic message - "If you can stay at home then you absolutely should stay at home". If you have to go to work, your employer has to ensure proper safety measures are taken, including the 6 feet / 2 metre distancing rule.