Article 52467 UK coronavirus: Sunak warns of 'unprecedented challenge' as questions persist over economy and care homes – as it happened

UK coronavirus: Sunak warns of 'unprecedented challenge' as questions persist over economy and care homes – as it happened

by
Andrew Sparrow, Lucy Campbell , Alexandra Topping
from on (#52467)

UK hospital deaths rise by 778 to 12,107 amid questions over care home figures; forecast says unemployment could soar by 2 million

6.48pm BST

Many thanks to everyone who got in touch with tips and suggestions - your input is invaluable. That's it from us here on the UK side, but if you'd like to you can continue following the Guardian's worldwide coronavirus coverage over on our global live blog.

Related: Coronavirus live news: Italy sees lowest increase in infections for a month as global cases near 2 million

6.44pm BST

Of all the ministers who have been given the opportunity to appear at the government's daily coronavirus press conference, Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, has probably made the best impression. Of course being able to announce almost limitless government spending does help a lot, but he is less evasive than most of his colleagues and generally does a better job than the rest of them at sounding positive yet not deluded.

He managed it again today, even though some of his assumptions are verging on the heroic. The OBR does broadly back his claim that the economy will be able to recover quickly. But his suggestion that Boris Johnson's open-chequebook "levelling up" agenda will be able to survive intact after the national debt has risen much higher seems optimistic, to put it politely. And perhaps his boldest claim is that this is no inherent tension between safeguarding the economy and protecting lives. That argument might look robust now, but it is likely to appear more tenuous in the months to come.

This is going to be hard, our economy's going to take a significant hit and as I've said before that's not an abstract thing, people are going to feel that in their jobs and in their household incomes ...

Yes it will be difficult in the short term. I'm happy to be honest about that with people. I think the measures we've put in place will help and then as we get through this it will mean that we can recover quickly and strongly and get our lives and economy back to normal.

Once we get through this obviously we will have to take stock of public finances and the economy and make the right decisions at that point and I've talked before about doing whatever we need to to right the ship at that point.

But what I would say is we remain very committed to the agenda that we set out before which was about levelling up and spreading opportunity around this country, and indeed I believe this can still be a critical part of how we get back to normal here.

The third point I want to make is this: right now, the single most important thing we can do for the health of our economy is to protect the health of our people.

It's not a case of choosing between the economy and public health - common sense tells us that doing so would be self-defeating.

6.05pm BST

Following the UK government's insistence that the supply of PPE is a "four nations strategy", and that no nation was being prioritised over any other, Donald Macaskill, head of the umbrella body Scottish Care, insisted on Tuesday afternoon that he had "good evidence" of care homes in Scotland being told by UK manufacturers that they cannot supply north of the border. He said:

In practice we have a number of organisations telling us that their traditional producers are no longer supplying to Scotland because they are supplying the NHS, which of course goes into the four nations supply, but it effectively means they are disadvantaged because it's not coming to social care.

Pleased @MattHancock changedhis plans to join a constructive discussion of 4 Health Ministers & grateful 4 assurance that neither NHS England nor PHE asked suppliers to divert PPE orders from Scotland. We go forward constructively as before & continue to check on these supplies.

This is positive reassurance but I still have dozens of care providers being told by companies that they cannot sell to care providers and are prioritising the #NHS. Can we encourage suppliers to start selling again to #carehomes and #homecare? PPE for all.

6.05pm BST

6.03pm BST

The Welsh government has been heavily criticised for still only being able to carry out 1,300 Covid-19 tests a day.

The Tory shadow health minister in Wales, Angela Burns, said:

The testing regime is overly complicated, drowning in bureaucracy, and fragmented.

Local authorities have been clamouring for an efficient full testing regime for our frontline staff over the last three weeks.

Instead, what we have is a complex shambolic system which involves reference to the health boards, Public Health Wales, Data Cymru and local authorities. There is a long chain of bureaucracy, complexities and layers before results reach us.

6.02pm BST

The speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, has outlined plans for a virtual Commons to return on 21 April, including enabling MPs to partake remotely in PMQs, urgent questions and statements via live video link.

Once this is established to be working well, the model could be extended to debates on motions and legislation, and a system of remote voting in divisions of the House, he added.

6.02pm BST

5.59pm BST

Disability campaigners who fear they could be denied life-saving treatment if they contract coronavirus are threatening the government with legal action.

Letters have been sent to the health secretary, Matt Hancock, and NHS England calling on them to publish guidance on how doctors assign priority to patients during the pandemic - or else face a courtroom challenge.

This is an extremely worrying time for me, as it is for all disabled people. I understand that difficult decisions will have to be made, but at the moment we just don't know how doctors are going to prioritise life-saving treatment for coronavirus. I'm concerned that without proper guidance, doctors may decide not to treat me, simply because of my impairments.

I feel strongly that I should be given the same chance as anyone else - all I'm asking for is some reassurance that my life will be valued as much as the next person.

My clients are not asking for special treatment, and they know how hard NHS staff up and down the country are working to save lives. Having said that, they are entitled to know how they will be treated if they contract coronavirus and need life-saving treatment.

Our clients consider it irrational that national guidance has not been put in place, and that the government is failing in its duty to protect their human rights. They also believe that clear guidance is crucial to assist the doctors who will have to make these difficult decisions.

5.59pm BST

Sir Simon Stevens, the chief executive of NHS England, self-isolated for more than week after experiencing coronavirus symptoms, the BBC's health editor Hugh Pym reports.

In Pym's tweet, he says Stevens "has revealed he has had coronavirus", indicating he might have been tested, though this remains unclear.

Sir Simon Stevens, head of NHS England, has revealed he has had Coronavirus - self isolated for just over a week after experiencing symptoms.

5.52pm BST

Sunak wraps up the press conference by thanking the public for continuing to follow the social distancing guidelines, particularly over the sunny weekend.

I'll post a summary of the press conference soon.

5.51pm BST

Q: One thing that might make the economy even worse is a no-deal Brexit. So why is that still an option?

Sunak says the UK has left the EU with a deal. The government is committed to getting a trade deal with the EU. He says Michel Barnier and David Frost have discussed how the talks can continue. He is confident that those talks can reach a conclusion.

5.49pm BST

Q: If universal credit really an adequate safety net? Are you open to a universal basic income?

Sunak says he does not think that is the right response. He thinks universal credit is working well. The DWP is under pressure, but given the circumstances it is processing claims effectively. He says the government has put extra money into the welfare system too.

5.46pm BST

Q: How are you going to find the money to help address the deficit this will create?

Sunak says he cannot write tax policy now. It will cost a lot. But the best way out is just to grow the economy, he says. He says if that were to happen, the long-term impact on the public finances would be reduced.

5.40pm BST

Q: Will you consider the proposal from George Osborne [see 3.40pm] for the Treasury to offer 100% loan guarantees in some circumstances?

Sunak says he will look at this. But he says it would not be him taking 100% of the risk. It would be the taxpayer. Banks would have no incentives to scrutinise loans, he says. But he says Germany and Switzerland have adopted this approach. He says he will consider it.

5.36pm BST

Q: Isn't is just unfair to produce a graph comparing UK figures, without care home deaths, to French figures, with care home deaths? (See 5.10pm.) On a like by like basis, the UK would be ahead of France, wouldn't it?

Doyle accepts it would be better if the figures did compare like with like. The government is always ready to learn, she says.

5.36pm BST

Sunak says the Treasury is plannning to open its coronavirus job retention scheme on 20 April.

5.30pm BST

Q: The economic fallout from this will disproportionately hit the young. So is it fair to keep policies like the triple lock on pensions?

Sunak says he cannot write future budgets today. But he will pay tribute to the young, whether it is people at school missing out on exams, or young people in the labour market. Young people have been volunteering, he says. He says this amounts to society coming together.

5.25pm BST

Sunak says the government remains very committed to its levelling up agenda.

That can be a critical part of getting back to normal, he says.

5.23pm BST

Q: Can you confirm that no company has been told not to supply PPE to Scotland?

Sunak says the national clinical director in Scotland dismissed this story as "rubbish". He says there has been close collaboration between the four countries of the UK.

5.19pm BST

Q: Have people in care homes been forgotten?

Absolutely not, says Sunak.

5.15pm BST

Q: Tonight there are warnings of 2m extra people losing their jobs. Will we feel the costs of this crisis for a generation?

Sunak says he is troubled by these numbers. This is not an abstract things. People are going to feel the results.

5.10pm BST

Powis is now presented the latest slides with data about the lockdown strategy.

Transport use is down, he says.

5.07pm BST

Sunak says taking action to save lives now is also the right thing to do for the economy. He says it is a common sense approach.

He says the health secretary, Matt Hancock, will make an announcement about social care tomorrow.

5.04pm BST

Sunak says the OBR has said that the policies followed by the government will allow the economy to bounce back. Without those policies, the situation would be much worse, he says. He says this means the OBR is saying the government plan is the right plan.

5.03pm BST

Sunak starts by talking about the OBR report.

5.02pm BST

Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, is about to hold the government's daily coronavirus press conference. He is appearing with Stephen Powis, the medical director of NHS England, and Yvonne Doyle, medical director of Public Health England.

4.57pm BST

4.56pm BST

London's Nightingale hospital has remained largely empty, with just 19 patients being treated at the facility over the Easter weekend, the Health Service Journal understands.

The temporary Docklands facility was designed to hold 2,900 intensive care beds, plus 750 additional beds, but internal data seen by the HSJ suggested established hospitals have been able to double their ICU capacity on their existing estates and are so far coping with the surge in demand.

4.41pm BST

As the Daily Record reports, a firm called Gompels, which makes PPE (personal protective equipment), has got a notice on its website saying that it can only sell certain items, like surgical masks and aprons, to customers in England. It says:

Gompels are helping the Covid-19 response by distributing this product on behalf of Public Health England to ensure that essential supplies get to care homes and domiciliary care providers. As such this product has a number of restrictions on who can purchase it.

You must be registered and operating within England - apologies to Wales and Scotland, we are told you have different processes for getting emergency supplies

4.20pm BST

A total of 207 prisoners have tested positive for coronavirus in 57 prisons in England and Wales as of 5pm on Monday, the Ministry of Justice said.

Some 62 prison staff have tested positive for Covid-19 in 28 prisons as well as five prisoner escort and custody services staff.

4.19pm BST

Just four prisoners have been released since the government announced plans 10 days ago to release up to 4,000 inmates to combat the spread of the coronavirus, MPs have heard, but a "few hundred" will be temporarily freed tomorrow.

Lucy Frazer, the justice minister, told a remote session of the justice committee 14 pregnant women or female inmates held in mother and baby units have now been released, out of a potential 70, while four men had been released early under broader plans announced on 4 April. Frazer said:

In relation to the wider release, the early releases, that we identified, we released four men last week and are planning to release a significant number this week.

We have over the last days been conducting the absolutely necessary checks to ensure that the people we will be releasing do not post a risk to the public.

I don't want to give precise figures because obviously that's subject to the risk assessments taking place and the other matters to ensure that people can be released safely but I would expect that tomorrow we would have a few hundred people released and that will continue.

4.15pm BST

4.10pm BST

The government is expected to resume post-Brexit talks with the European Union next week, in a coronavirus-era experiment with negotiations by video link.

The EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, is due to speak to his opposite number David Frost on Wednesday, where they are expected to agree a timetable for talks in April and May, including several days next week.

Back in my office today @EU_Commission with my team preparing, among other things, the videoconference with @DavidGHFrost tomorrow pic.twitter.com/YYo6WleIjM

4.07pm BST

In the latest episode of our Science Weekly podcast, the Guardian's science correspondent Nicola Davis speaks to Dr Andy Whittamore about the effects of Covid-19 on people with asthma and what they can do to protect themselves. You can listen to the episode here.

Related: Covid-19: how vulnerable are people with asthma? - podcast

3.59pm BST

As the Press and Journal reports, Donald Macaskill, CEO of Scottish Care, which represents the care home sector in Scotland, claimed on BBC Radio Scotland that suppliers of PPE (personal protective equipment) were prioritising customers in England. Last week a care home owner in Wales made the same allegation.

Downing Street has rejected the claim that England is taking precedence. (See 2.27pm.) As our colleague Libby Brooks reported earlier (see 1.07pm), the Scottish government is more reluctant to dismiss it outright.

3.45pm BST

The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 among prison staff in England and Wales has more than doubled in five days, according to the most recent update from the Ministry of Justice.

There were 62 prison staff across 28 prisons who had tested positive for the coronavirus as of 5pm on Monday, compared to the last available figures for 8 April, when 28 prison staff had tested positive across 17 prisons.

3.43pm BST

3.41pm BST

3.40pm BST

George Osborne, the former Conservative chancellor who now edits the Evening Standard, told the World at One that the Office for Budget Responsibility assessment of how the lockdown might damage the economy (see 12.16pm) was "staggering" and that some people who lost their jobs would not get them back. He said:

They're not particularly surprising numbers in the sense that they've been out there in the market, and other economists have made these predictions but they're still shocking numbers, this staggering loss of economic output, this staggering increase in the national debt, and of course the real tragedy here is a massive increase in unemployment, not all of which comes back. In other words, many people don't simply get their job back later this year under this scenario and it's just a reminder that the effects of this virus will be with us long after we've hopefully found a cure.

Related: UK economy could shrink by 35% with 2m job losses, warns OBR

3.23pm BST

There is mounting anger in Northern Ireland over authorities' failure to disclose the number of coronavirus-related deaths in care homes.

The health minister, Robin Swann, said on Tuesday that 32 care homes had been affected but their death toll remains unclear, prompting protests from politicians and advocacy groups.

3.19pm BST

The Medical Protection Society (MPS) has called on the government to introduce emergency laws to safeguard doctors from claims against their decisions during the coronavirus crisis.

It is calling on the UK to support new laws, already adopted in New York state, to ensure healthcare professionals are not exposed to "criminal and regulatory investigations following decisions they may have to make in terms of when emergency treatment can be withheld or withdrawn".

Doctors have been telling us they have concerns about the decisions they are having to make in very challenging circumstances and how they can be sure that they are acting lawfully.

It is simply not fair for doctors already under immense pressure to be asked to make difficult treatment decisions based on a hope that the courts and the General Medical Council will treat them favourably and protect them in the future if their decisions and actions are challenged.

3.13pm BST

3.12pm BST

The number of offenders being sentenced to short-term prison sentences will outstrip the number of prisoners set to be released early as part of plans to mitigate the spread of coronavirus, MPs have been told.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Justice announced plans to release up to 4,000 risk-assessed prisoners who are within two months of their release date will be temporarily released from jail.

More people are being sentenced to short prison sentences than are going to be released early on temporary licence so we're not actually resolving the problem for the prisons because we're feeding more people into the system than we are bringing out."

2.58pm BST

Scotland's Care Inspectorate has confirmed at least two deaths at the Wastview Care Centre in Shetland, as the Scottish government prepares to publish what first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has promised will be "full and robust" data on care home deaths on Wednesday.

Jeane Freeman, the Scottish health secretary, said on Sunday that the Care Inspectorate had been told of Covid-19 cases in 406 adult care homes, 37% of the total, amidst growing anxiety about a surge in deaths, with clusters including 13 reported dead after contracting coronavirus at a care home in Glasgow last week.

2.56pm BST

Amid continuing speculation about when schools will reopen in England, the National Education Union (NEU) has written to the prime minister expressing that its members were "disturbed" by the continuing speculation and called for the government to share its modelling, evidence and plans for any return to school as a matter of urgency.

Last Wednesday, Number 10 intervened to clarify that schools would not be reopening straight after the Easter holidays after media speculation based on comments said to have been made by an unnamed minister.

We consider this speculation to be most unhelpful: it may undermine people's resolve to stick to social isolation.

We are disturbed that it is seemingly being stimulated by unnamed government ministers.

2.52pm BST

2.48pm BST

In addition to the virtual first minister's questions, which started last Thursday, the Scottish parliament's presiding officer, Ken Macintosh, has just announced a new virtual members' question time this Friday, where up to 19 MSPs will have the chance to put questions to four cabinet secretaries most deeply involved in the Covid-19 response, including the health secretary, Jeane Freeman.

Mackintosh said that Holyrood's governing body was continuing to discuss arrangements for chamber and committee business in the coming weeks:

I know that members share my view that we must strike a balance between enabling our parliament to continue to function effectively during this uncertain and difficult time, while ensuring we don't put others at undue risk. In exploring new technologies and extending virtual scrutiny arrangements to more and more members and to different formats, I believe we can successfully strike that balance.

2.39pm BST

The Department of Health and Social Care has announced that 778 people have died across the UK after contracting coronavirus in the past 24 hours.

As of 5pm on 13 April, of those treated in hospital in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus, 12,107 have died.

As of 9am 14 April, 382,650 tests have concluded, with 14,982 tests on 13 April.

302,599 people have been tested of which 93,873 tested positive.

As of 5pm on 13 April, of those hospitalised in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus, 12,107 have sadly died. pic.twitter.com/xK3AdMiVZC

2.34pm BST

Scotland has recorded 40 new coronavirus-related deaths in last 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths to 615.

The country recorded 291 new cases overnight, bringing the total of confirmed cases to 6,358.

2.29pm BST

Northern Ireland has recorded 10 new coronavirus related deaths in last 24 hours bringing the total number of deaths to 134.

NI has confirmed 85 new cases, bringing the total number of cases to 1,967.

2.27pm BST

The Downing Street lobby briefing is over for the day. In the past lobby briefings weren't always the most informative events in the Westminster daily diary, and they normally wrapped up in under half an hour. Now they take place by conference call, just once a day, and they regularly last for more than an hour (like today's). They have also become a lot more useful, partly because of the length (it is not as if political journalists have a lot of other things to do), partly because of the format, but also partly because No 10 needs to engage with the media more than it thought it did in the pre-coronavirus era.

Most of the briefing was taken by the prime minister's spokesman, but we also heard from a Treasury spokesman talking about the OBR report.

We have tried to estimate a cost that is consistent with the assumptions underpinning the economic scenario. Doing so implies that around 30 per cent of employees will be covered at a cost of 42bn (equivalent to almost 15 per cent of total employee compensation in the baseline). We estimate that around a fifth of that returns to the Exchequer in income tax and NICs - an effect that is captured implicitly via the fiscal ready-reckoning rather than explicitly here. The first payments are expected this month.

For the majority of PPE included in the EU schemes, the supply of items to participating countries is still subject to the European commission signing off individual contracts with suppliers, the placing of orders and delivery schedules. We understand that participating countries may begin to receive PPE two weeks after orders are placed. Deliveries will be subject to the same demand pressures as all other procurement currently taking place. Participating in this scheme would not have allowed us to do anything that we have not been able to do ourselves.

As we progress through this pandemic, we are of course looking at any improvements that we can make and any lessons that we can learn.

At the beginning, Public Health England got off to a good start in terms of testing to try and make sure they caught people coming in to the country with it. I then think it's not scaled as fast as it needs to scale - and that's being done now.

Our PPE strategy is UK-wide, making sure that frontline workers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have the PPE they need to stay protected while taking care of patients. Through this four-nation approach we are working closely with the devolved administrations to coordinate the distribution of PPE evenly across the UK. We have not instructed any company to prioritise PPE for one nation over the others.

2.25pm BST

Wales has recorded 19 further deaths of people who had tested positive for Covid-19, taking the number of deaths in Wales to 403.

Wales also reported 238 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 5,848, although the true number of cases is likely to be higher.

2.18pm BST

A further 744 people have died in hospital in England in the last 24 hours, bringing the total deaths in hospital in England to 11,005.

Patients were aged between 34 and 102 years old. 58 of the 744 patients (aged between 38 and 96 years old) had no known underlying health condition.

2.14pm BST

The first UK-built ventilators backed by a consortium of leading manufacturers have been delivered to hospitals over the weekend, with another device now in final clinical trials, the PA Media reports:

It is understood a number of ParaPac devices, made by Smiths Medical - whose production lines have been boosted by the involvement of The Ventilator Challenge UK (TVUK) group - were sent to wards across the UK in the last few days.

We are no longer supporting the production of the BlueSky device following a reassessment of the product's viability in light of the ever-developing picture around what is needed to most effectively treat Covid-19.

We are continuing to work at unprecedented speed with a number of other manufacturers to scale up UK production of ventilators.

Related: UK scraps plans to buy thousands of ventilators from Formula One group

Related: UK missed three chances to join EU scheme to bulk-buy PPE

2.00pm BST

Responding to questions about the take up of the coronavirus business loan scheme, the chancellor Rishi Sunak said banks were working through a backlog after overwhelming demand.

Sunak added:

Well I'm speaking to the banks every single day. What I'm improving over the weekend is that all the banks had their staff in over the Easter weekend helping to process the backlog.

There was an overwhelming demand early on, that backlog is being worked though, so I think you'll see the numbers tick up considerably into the thousands this week, which will be comforting. It's something that we're looking at very closely.

1.55pm BST

An NHS boss has said a new Nightingale Hospital being built in north-east England will not need to open if people maintain social distancing rules, PA Media reports.

Workers have transformed an empty unit close to the Nissan car plant into a 460-bed facility which could be ready to take patients at the end of the month.

I don't think we will need to open. If people can all play their part in social distancing, if a vaccine comes along, my hope is that we don't need to open.

If we do, we will be ready.

1.51pm BST

The Welsh health minister, Vaughan Gething, has expressed frustration that not all the Covid-19 tests it has made available are being taken up, writes Steven Morris.

A drive-through testing centre in Cardiff did not open on Monday but Gething said this was because there were not enough referrals of frontline staff for it to operate.

1.38pm BST

A care home nurse from Birmingham who died after contracting coronavirus was 'loving and dedicated to helping people', reports the Birmingham Mail.

Elsie Sazuze, 44, fell ill at home before being taken to Good Hope hospital in Sutton Coldfield where she died on Wednesday 8 April.

Care home nurse who died of coronavirus was dedicated to helping people https://t.co/rdX0Z5UNGD

I have known her all my life. Elsie was as a naturally quiet person but very caring, friendly, cheerful and resilient. She had a passion to always help others.

She was dedicated to helping people. I remember every time we visited their home she always welcomed us with great hospitality.

1.26pm BST

Related: UK coronavirus rules relaxed for people with autism and learning disabilities

1.07pm BST

In her lunchtime briefing, Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon addressed reports that private firms were prioritising the NHS in England for PPE delivery, with supplies destined for Scottish care homes being diverted to England. While earlier this morning the Scottish government's national clinical director dismissed the reports as "rubbish", Sturgeon appeared to take them far more seriously, describing it as "unconscionable" if the case.

Sturgeon said that she was not currently aware of any such issue affecting national supplies, but that it would be "completely unacceptable" if it was causing problems for individual organisations. She added that the Scottish health secretary, Jeane Freeman, would be seeking clarification on this from her UK counterpart, Matt Hancock, later today.

1.05pm BST

Responding to the OBR's coronavirus economic scenario, the chancellor Rishi Sunak said it was important "to be honest about the hardship ahead" and that it was clear the lockdown would have a very significant impact on the economy.

Reiterating that the government could not protect every job and business, he told reporters:

The report makes clear that the actions we've taken - unprecedented actions - will help to mitigate the impact of the virus on our economy and that if we hadn't done these things it would mean that things were a lot worse, for example with unemployment.

12.53pm BST

12.48pm BST

Following the OBR's publication of coronavirus economic scenarios, the SNP has called on the government to deliver comprehensive financial support to ensure "no one is left behind".

The SNP's leader in Westminster, Ian Blackford, underlined the need for the UK government to fix the serious gaps in the support being offered to millions of people who have lost their jobs or seen their incomes reduced.

The chancellor must ensure that businesses have access to cash to stay afloat - and that all households get the support they need. This must include a guaranteed minimum income for everyone and strengthened welfare protections - so no one is left behind.

Too many people have been left out of the current schemes - and millions are struggling to pay their bills and support their families when their incomes have been slashed.

12.44pm BST

Nicola Sturgeon has announced Tuesday's daily figures for Covid-19: a further 291 positive cases, taking the total to 6358, and a further 40 deaths, taking that total to 615.

She added that there was likely to be a lag in figures because of under-reporting over the Easter weekend.

12.42pm BST

Sinn Fi(C)in president Mary Lou McDonald has confirmed that on Monday she received a positive diagnosis for Covid-19, having been tested on 28 March. She confirmed that she was no longer infectious and after weeks of feeling really unwell, expressed "great relief" at recovering from the illness.

In a statement she thanked everyone who has sent their good wishes over the past number of weeks and said she hopes to be back at work next Monday. She said:

My thoughts and solidarity are with everyone who is sick at this time, and my gratitude is with our doctors, nurses, carers and everyone who looks after us.

My appeal to everyone is to stay safe, stay home and stay apart. You do not want to get this virus.

12.38pm BST

The former Welsh AM William Powell is now conscious and "responding to treatment" after being treated for coronavirus. He remains in intensive care, two and a half weeks after he was admitted to hospital.

We are pleased to be able to confirm that, two and a half weeks after being admitted to hospital with Covid-19, @WmPowell2016's condition is improving.

Although he remains in ICU for the moment, he is responding well to treatment and is now conscious again. pic.twitter.com/B1SBxwJSmF

He has received outstanding treatment from the staff in Nevill Hall Hospital and we are incredibly grateful to them.

We ask that people continue to respect his family's privacy at this time, but we are grateful for the huge outpouring of support over the past two weeks.

12.34pm BST

Responding to the OBR economic scenario, Anneliese Dodds MP, the shadow chancellor, said it was clear additional action was needed to ensure take-up of the economic measures introduced by the government was increased. She said:

Behind these very concerning figures lie many businesses which have gone bust and many people who have lost their jobs.

Labour has been working constructively with government on its economic support package. It is clear that additional action needs to be taken to increase the take-up of the different measures. We have called for urgent action in relation to the loans scheme in particular, as take-up is worryingly low.

12.28pm BST

From BBC Newsnight's Lewis Goodall

NEW: OBR publishes an economic scenario (not forecast) for what might happen to the UK economy as a result of #Covid19. It assumes a 3 month lockdown.

Unemployment: aiby 2 million.

GDP (2020) ai 13% in 2020.

If so, would be the worst economic contraction for a century.

12.16pm BST

Here is an excerpt from the report published by the Office for Budget Responsibility today looking at what impact the coronavirus lockdown could have on the economy. It says GDP could fall by 35% in the second quarter of the year.

Here is an extract.

In addition to its impact on public health, the coronavirus outbreak will substantially raise public sector net borrowing and debt, primarily reflecting economic disruption. The government's policy response will also have substantial direct budgetary costs, but the measures should help limit the long-term damage to the economy and public finances - the costs of inaction would certainly have been higher ...

We do not attempt to predict how long the economic lockdown will last - that is a matter for the government, informed by medical advice. But, to illustrate some of the potential fiscal effects, we assume a three-month lockdown due to public health restrictions followed by another three-month period when they are partially lifted. For now, we assume no lasting economic hit.

12.13pm BST

12.11pm BST

One in 10 hospital nurses is off work due to coronavirus, internal NHS figures suggest.

Data from the Covid-19 national operational dashboard from Saturday, seen by the Health Service Journal, show that across English acute trusts there were 28,063 Covid-19-related absences reported among nurses and midwives - 10% of a headcount of around 280,000.

12.04pm BST

From Sky's economics editor Ed Conway

Breaking: @OBR_UK publishes a scenario showing UK GDP falling by 35% in the second quarter of the year. Unemployment up by 2 million.
Extraordinary. More on this soon.

12.03pm BST

A serious concern since the emergence of Covid-19 has been whether those who have had it can get it a second time - and what that means for exiting this crisis.

In this video explainer, the Guardian's science correspondent Hannah Devlin looks at how our bodies fight coronavirus when infected, how we develop immunity and if we can get reinfected with Covid-19.

12.00pm BST

The ONS has also published a separate report today explaining in detail how its coronavirus death figures differ from the Department for Health and Social Care's. Nick Stripe, head of health analysis and life events at the ONS said:

The latest comparable data for deaths involving Covid-19 with a date of death up to 3 April, show there were 6,235 deaths in England and Wales. When looking at data for England, this is 15% higher than the NHS numbers as they include all mentions of Covid-19 on the death certificate, including suspected Covid-19, as well as deaths in the community.

11.53am BST

Sky's Ed Conway has another graph illustrating the ONS figures showing how the death rate is now soaring above what is normal for this time of year. (See 11.41am.)

Here is the story of today's @ONS mortality statistics in a single chart. The worst week for UK mortality (all causes) since records began.
The blue area shows the minimum and maximum mortality each week since 2010.
The red line shows you this year so far. pic.twitter.com/j71W00tCVy

11.46am BST

The UK Space Agency is making 2.6m of funding available to the space sector for solutions that can help the NHS respond to coronavirus.

In partnership with the European Space Agency, this will fund a number of projects that could include using drones to deliver test kits and PPE, or using satellite communications to carry out some appointments online rather than face-to-face.

We're making at least 2.6 million available to fund space-enabled technology and support @NHSEngland in the national effort to overcome #coronavirus.

This could include satellite and drone technology to deliver equipment and manage outbreaks. i

a-i https://t.co/QCdWFklWeU pic.twitter.com/lH4uSAM0Tb

11.41am BST

11.41am BST

Here are two charts from the ONS figures for weekly deaths in England and Wales published earlier.

This shows how the weekly death toll is now starting to soar above what is normal for this time of year.

11.39am BST

The former commercial director for the London Olympics will lead efforts to get supplies to vulnerable people during the lockdown, the communities secretary Robert Jenrick has announced.

Leaving his role as commercial director at Chelsea Football Club, Chris Townsend OBE has volunteered three months of his time to lead the government's shielding programme, where he will oversee the cross-government effort getting vital food and medicine to those who are clinically vulnerable people and shielding.

This is a top priority and I call on everyone to remember the important role they have to play in stopping the spread of coronavirus and to shield those most at risk.

11.29am BST

A fund-raising campaign by a second world war veteran who is aiming to walk one hundred lengths of his back garden (25m in length) before his 100th birthday at the end of the month has smashed through the 1m barrier.

Tom Moore, aged 99, had hoped to raise 1,000 for the NHS but huge public interest in his initiative led to a surge in donations over the Easter weekend, which now stands at nearly 1.5m.

I'm Captain Tom Moore, war veteran, 99 years of age (soon to be 100) and I'm walking for the NHS to raise money for our heroes.https://t.co/M1dkvoV3kE

11.17am BST

This should be interesting.

At midday today we'll publish results of a coronavirus scenario illustrating the possible effects on the economy and public finances of a 3-month shutdown and the Government's policy responses. This is *not* a forecast, just 1 scenario of many that could unfold. #OBRcovidscenario pic.twitter.com/znxkoDXBOW

11.04am BST

11.01am BST

More than 1,000 people who were rough sleeping in London have been found accommodation in hotels or other safe locations to allow them to self-isolate, according to the mayor of London's office. The accommodation is being paid for a 10m fund provided by City Hall and central government. In a press notice the mayor's office said:

The initiative, launched just three weeks ago, involves City Hall working with government and charity bodies to block-book rooms, allowing highly vulnerable rough sleepers to follow government self-isolation guidelines. The InterContinental Hotel Group, Travelodge, Best Western and Accor Group have all allowed their hotels to be used in this way ...

Rough sleepers are significantly more likely to have underlying health conditions - including respiratory problems - than the wider population. They are also far less likely to be able to follow Public Health England advice, such as self-isolation, social distancing and hand washing. Much existing accommodation available to rough sleepers, while vitally important, is unsuitable for self-isolation.

10.51am BST

Labour is calling for the publication of daily figures showing how many people have died with coronavirus in care homes. This is from Liz Kendall, the shadow minister for social care.

The increase in Covid-19 deaths in care homes is extremely worrying, but the true picture will sadly be even worse because these figures [see 9.52am] are only up to the week ending 3 April.

We urgently need these figures on a daily basis to help deal with the emerging crisis in social care and ensure everything possible is being done to protect more than 400,000 elderly and disabled people who live in nursing and residential care homes.

10.42am BST

10.31am BST

Avrohom Pinter, a rabbi who commanded respect far beyond the strictly-Orthodox Jewish community in Stamford Hill, north London, that he served, has died after contracting Covid-19.

Pinter was a long-time member of the Labour party, a former local councillor, the principal of a Jewish girls' school and an unofficial spokesmanfor Europe's biggest ultra-Orthodox community. He was admitted to a central London hospital last week, and died on Monday.

Giant of community politics passed away today, Rabbi Abraham Pinter. I knew him for over thirty years. He had so much to be proud of: his beautiful family; his work amongst the people and above all the Yesodey Hatorah School. He will be mourned by all pic.twitter.com/oJByNG6ReH

So very sad that my dear friend Rabbi Abraham Pinter has lost his battle against the coronavirus. A true leader of the Charedi Orthodox Community in Stamford hill, he was clever, erudite and inclusive. This is a huge loss. I will miss his counsel and good humour immensely. pic.twitter.com/wxkaJvS601

Sending my love to Rabbi Pinter's family. He did so much to help community relations in London and will be missed by so many. May his memory be a blessing. https://t.co/hBCtO2Mxth

The passing of Rabbi Pinter will be felt widely through the community. So many times the first to reach out,bonding and strengthening our wonderfully diverse community here in Cazenove/S.Hill/Hackney & beyond. Love & thoughts with his fam. Gonna miss ya heaps Rabbi P #Legend https://t.co/XkkhUMWt1t

Related: Jewish leaders fear ultra-Orthodox Jews have missed isolation message

10.22am BST

The Tour de France will not begin on 27 June in Nice as originally planned after the French president Emmanuel Macron extended the country's ban on public events with large crowds until mid-July.

Related: Tour de France on hold after Macron extends outdoor sports ban till July

10.16am BST

10.13am BST

As we reported earlier, Anneliese Dodds, the shadow chancellor, was asked on the Today programme this morning why the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has not taken up an invitation to attend the government's Cobra emergency committee meetings discussing coronavirus. As Today subsequently made clear in a correction, one very good reason is that no such invitation has actually been offered. See the update at 8.28am for more.

10.05am BST

It is not just HC-One that is saying that the prevalence of coronavirus in its care homes is much higher than the official figures suggest. (See 9.27am.) As Robert Booth and Rowena Mason reports, MHA, another leading care home provider, says Covid-19 has affected around half of its homes. They report:

HC-One, which operates about 350 homes, said that as of 8pm on Monday there had been 311 deaths from confirmed or suspected Covid-19 with outbreaks in two thirds of its homes. MHA, a charitable operator, said there have been 210 deaths across 131 homes, with outbreaks in about half of its homes ...

MHA's figures up to Monday also suggest a considerable increase of 89 fatalities in the last six days. Last Tuesday, it told the Guardian, there had been 121 deaths.

Related: Two of UK's largest care home providers report 521 coronavirus deaths

9.52am BST

The ONS has just released its latest weekly death figures for England and Wales, which include a figure for the number of deaths in care homes. The daily coronavirus death figures published by the Department for Health and Social Care every afternoon only cover hospital coronavirus deaths.

The figures cover the week ending Friday 3 April (week 14 for the ONS). The report suggests that 10% of coronavirus deaths during this period were taking place outside hospital. Of those, more than half were in care homes, with the rest in private homes and hospices. The report says:

The year-to-date analysis shows that, of deaths involving the coronavirus (Covid-19) up to week 14, 90.2% (3,716 deaths) occurred in hospital, with the remainder occurring in hospices (33 deaths), care homes (217 deaths) and private homes (136 deaths).

9.27am BST

Good morning. I'm Andrew Sparrow, taking over from Jessica Murray.

On the Today programme this morning Sir David Behan, a former chief executive of the Care Quality Commission, and now a non-executive director for HC-One, one of Britain's largest care home firms, said he thought the official figures for coronavirus in care homes were understating the scale of the problem.

We think this is a more realistic picture. There is an inference that there has been a high level of Covid-19 in care homes because people aren't being careful. I don't think that's the case at all.

Related: Half of coronavirus deaths happen in care homes, data from EU suggests

9.02am BST

8.47am BST

A third of call centre workers continue to be required to work despite being non-essential workers, while only 2% of those who asked to work from home have had their request granted.

These are the interim results from an online survey by Strathclyde University which has received over 2,000 responses since it was opened on 7 April, with a high proportion of Scottish respondents but spanning UK-wide workers.

Key findings include: almost 60% of workers are still working having been designated as essential by their employer, with only 17.9% of those believing they are essential, stating they are working on mortgages, PPI and credit issues; 50% state they are working face-to-face with a co-worker; only a third of workers report that their employer is successfully implementing workplace distancing.

This survey lifts the lid on the nightmare being endured by many agents, with insufficient social distancing, multi-occupation workstations, over-crowded lifts, poor sanitation, re-used headsets, heating and ventilation systems spreading germs.

8.35am BST

The Conservative peer and former work and pensions minister, Ros Altmann, has said she is "really concerned" about what is happening in the care sector. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme:

We seem to have this artificial distinction between the NHS and what is called social care or elderly care in particular, and that is being overlooked, it seems to me.

You know the government has real problems and of course it has got difficult decisions to make, but we must not forget that the mark of a civilised society must reflect how it treats its most vulnerable and oldest citizens.

I'm sure that the government really cares about what's happening and it's an enormous task.

We must not forget the most elderly in our population - the average age of people in our care homes is 85 - their lives are also valuable and they need the treatment and the equipment and the care that we would expect for anyone else in society as well.

8.28am BST

The shadow chancellor, Anneliese Dodds, said Labour are seeking to have "as constructive a relationship as possible" with the government to defeat coronavirus.

Asked why the Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, is not taking up the government's offer of joining the emergency Cobra meetings, Dodds told BBC Radio 4's Today programme:

I know that Keir has been seeking to work with government as much as is possible and he's had a number of discussions, as I understand it, with different individuals involved with government.

We're seeking to have as constructive a relationship as possible and obviously we're trying to do that in a spirit to get us to the best place that we can be as a nation.

I don't know the circumstances under which that may have been offered and the decision making around that.

I do know that Keir is absolutely determined for us to do all we can as an opposition to try and support efforts to support people and indeed the health of the country.

8.18am BST

Sir David Behan, non-executive director of HC-One, Britain's largest care home operator, said Covid-19 is present in two-thirds of its care homes.

The former chief executive of the Care Quality Commission told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme that as of 8pm on Monday, there were 2,447 suspected and confirmed cases of Covid-19 in HC-One care homes.

Covid-19 deaths are representative of about ... just under about a third of all deaths that we've had over the past three weeks.

So this isn't just an issue of deaths from Covid-19 as I've already said, this is a very frail group of older people and we'd normally have a number of deaths taking place throughout the winter months and we're also dealing with that as well.

8.12am BST

Global governments should agree a common standard on medical screening at airports, the boss of Heathrow has said.

Chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, claimed a single system for assessing passengers' health will help demand for air travel recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Heathrow continues to serve the nation by keeping vital supply lines open, and helping people get home.

Now is the time to agree a common international standard for healthcare screening in airports so that when this crisis recedes, people can travel with confidence and we can get the British economy moving again.

8.10am BST

The UK missed three chances to be part of an EU scheme to bulk buy personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers, according to reports.

The Guardian revealed that Britain failed to utilise opportunities to get items such as masks, gowns and gloves under an EU initiative.

Related: UK missed three chances to join EU scheme to bulk-buy PPE

7.59am BST

Motorists were caught driving at "extreme speeds" over the Easter weekend, with one driver clocked at 151mph.

The Metropolitan police also caught a driver travelling at 97mph in a 40 zone and four drivers going over 100mph on the A13.

Extreme speeds this wkend in #London. Many enforced including 97mph (40) on #A10. This driver reached 151mph on #M1 before decamping car & evading "aTMi on foot. We will do upmost to identify & take action. Anyhow no doubt will come to our attention again before he hurts somebody! pic.twitter.com/SyGV1aS3l5

Related: UK motorists caught at 'extreme speeds' on quiet lockdown roads

7.52am BST

Nadra Ahmed, chairwoman of the National Care Association, has called on the government to remove VAT on protective equipment for care homes.

She told ITV's Good Morning Britain that care homes were struggling to source and pay for personal protective equipment and prices were "not sustainable" for the care sector.

We've said to the chancellor, 'take the VAT off PPE, these are essential items'.

They've taken it off for the NHS but they've not moved it for social care... without our staff we can't deliver the care.

7.50am BST

Therese Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, said: "People will start to receive financial support if they haven't already had an advance."

She also said that people who started work after 28 February, and are therefore excluded from the government's job retention scheme, "can go back to their original employers to ask to be furloughed".

7.45am BST

The shadow chancellor, Anneliese Dodds, said she is concerned about the low take-up of the coronavirus business loan scheme, and that more information is needed to establish whether the government intervention is effective.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Dodds said: "We really think the government needs to be actually publishing statistics around th

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