Category Archives: Coronavirus outbreak

UK coronavirus live: government to pay two-thirds of wages at businesses forced to lock down

Posted on by

Rishi Sunak announces new economic support measures; London mayor says ‘highly likely’ capital will face extra measures soon; Sturgeon concedes new Scotland cafe rules have caused confusion

That’s all from the UK blog for today - you can continue following our coronavirus coverage over on the global live blog.

As always, thanks to everyone for reading along, sending in your thoughts and your comments.

Related: Coronavirus live news: Spain imposes state of emergency in Madrid; Europe records 100,000 daily cases for first time

Here is a quick recap of today’s developments:

Continue reading...

Rishi Sunak announces expansion of coronavirus job support scheme – video

Posted on by

Rishi Sunak has said the government will cover two-thirds of workers’ wages at businesses forced to close during new coronavirus lockdowns. The chancellor said the government would subsidise pay by providing grants to companies forced to shut – most likely pubs, bars and restaurants.

Under the expansion, firms whose premises are legally required to shut for a period over winter as part of local or national restrictions can receive grants to pay up to 67% of employees’ salaries

Continue reading...

Coronavirus: Spain declares emergency in Madrid as Berlin emerges as hotspot

Posted on by

European countries tighten regional lockdowns as daily cases of Covid-19 keep rising

The Spanish government has declared a state of emergency to keep Madrid in partial lockdown as countries across Europe struggle to deal with the continuing surge in new coronavirus cases.

The move came as Italy logged more than 5,000 new daily coronavirus cases for the first time in six months, and Germany recorded more than 4,000 new infections for the second day in a row. Following a meeting with mayors, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, announced that some areas would be given 10 days to improve the situation or face tougher action.

Continue reading...

BAME groups hit hard again as Covid second wave grips UK nations

Posted on by

As cases surge, figures show the demographics of those most seriously affected by coronavirus remain the same

One of the earliest signs that black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people were being disproportionately harmed by the coronavirus pandemic came when the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNAR) published research in early April showing that 35% of almost 2,000 Covid patients in intensive care units in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were non-white.

A lot has happened in the intervening six months with numerous reports, including by the Office for National Statistics and Public Health England (PHE), confirming the increased risk to ethnic minorities and recommendations published on how to mitigate that risk. However, as the second wave intensifies, the demographics of those most seriously affected remain remarkably similar.

Continue reading...

‘Brain fog’: the people struggling to think clearly months after Covid

Posted on by

Doctors grapple for answers as more patients report post-coronavirus cognitive impairment

For Mirabai Nicholson-McKellar, Covid-19 brought an onslaught of symptoms from chest pains to an 11-day migraine, three positive test results, and a period in hospital.

Seven months later, the rollercoaster is far from over: the 36-year-old from Byron Bay, Australia is still experiencing symptoms – including difficulties with thinking that are often described as “brain fog”.

Continue reading...

Telstra denies Victoria police requested Graham Ashton’s phone records for hotel quarantine inquiry

Posted on by

Phone records of former police chief considered crucial in investigation to determine who made the decision to use private security guards

Victoria police never formally requested Telstra provide ex-police chief Graham Ashton’s phone records to help the hotel quarantine inquiry uncover who made the decision to use private security guards in the botched program, Guardian Australia can reveal.

On Wednesday, a spokesperson for Victoria police told Guardian Australia that police “did contact Telstra and request incoming call data for the former chief commissioner’s phone”.

Continue reading...

Coronavirus Australia update: Victoria reports 11 new cases and NSW 10 as Peta Credlin questions Daniel Andrews – live

Posted on by

The number of locally transmitted cases in Sydney is growing, dashing hopes of the Queensland border reopening next month. Follow live

Scott Morrison says it is the GST top up with has allowed WA to declare a budget surplus.

So, you’re welcome, Mark,” he says

Q: The RBA has warned today that Australia’s historically low population growth rate will heighten the risk of falls in property values in the future. And Treasury has said your housing measures bring forward demand for future years. What will the Government do?

Scott Morrison:

Well, the impacts from the COVID-19 recession are obvious. Whether it’s programs like HomeBuilder and others, there will always be an excess of demand over the supply of housing in this country. Always has been. And that’s what has fundamentally driven house price values all around the country.

And that is still true today. There is still a surplus of demand over supply. And that’s why our HomeBuilder program - and to give you an idea of its impact, what we’ve done in the housing sector is we’ve been unlocking and bringing forward the decisions that home builders want to make. And that will see some 20,000 homes built at a cost of around $500 million.

Continue reading...

Coronavirus live news: Spain imposes state of emergency in Madrid; Europe records 100,000 daily cases for first time

Posted on by

Court had struck down lockdown measures in Spanish capital; Cases in Europe have been steadily rising over the past week

US President Donald Trump has approved a revised Covid-19 relief stimulus, White House Economic Advisor Larry Kudlow has said.

Stocks immediately rallied on the news, Bloomberg News tweets, while the president himself (or one of his staff) has has also been on Twitter in the last few minutes

Covid Relief Negotiations are moving along. Go Big!

Related: Pelosi says medication has Trump 'in an altered state' in 25th amendment bid – live

Most people in the UK who have Covid-19 or are a contact of somebody who has tested positive fail to fully self-isolate, despite its necessity in preventing a resurgence of the pandemic, according to government advisors.

Newly released papers reveal that behavioural science experts privately warned last month that only 18-25% of people who needed to were self-isolating. Others were still going out to work or to shop, even though they risked infecting others, according to the details of the briefing for ministers by the UK government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) .

Related: Coronavirus: at least three-quarters of people in UK fail to self-isolate

Continue reading...

Covid-19: Scotland’s drinking ban in chaos over meaning of cafe

Posted on by

Nicola Sturgeon’s 16-day ban called ‘dysfunctional’ after contradictory statements

Scotland’s nationwide crackdown on indoor drinking descended into chaos on Thursday evening, less than 24 hours before strict new regulations on hospitality are due to come into force.

Many business owners in central Scotland, where a 16-day shutdown of pubs, restaurants and cafes that serve alcohol was announced by Nicola Sturgeon on Wednesday, claimed that they were still uncertain whether they were expected to close at 6pm on Friday as trade bodies described the Scottish government’s behaviour as “dysfunctional”.

Continue reading...

Covid drug given to Trump developed using cells derived from aborted fetus

Posted on by

Trump touts Regeneron antibody cocktail as a potential ‘cure’ while he has consistently sought to restrict abortion access

One of the drugs taken by Donald Trump that he has touted as a potential “cure” for coronavirus was developed using human cells originally obtained from an elective abortion, a practice repeatedly denounced by the president and many of his supporters.

The drug is a monoclonal antibody cocktail developed by Regeneron. The president received an 8-gram infusion under a “compassionate use” exemption when he was hospitalized over the weekend after testing positive for Covid-19. There is no cure for Covid-19, and the drug is not approved.

Continue reading...

Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer slams Trump in response to kidnapping plot – video

Posted on by

Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer called for unity and condemned Donald Trump for stoking division during the coronavirus outbreak during a press conference in which she addressed a plot to kidnap her.

Members of two domestic terrorist groups have been charged with Whitmer's attempted kidnap, which she said she 'never could have imagined' when she took office.

Referencing the first presidential debate, when Trump told far-right group the Proud Boys to 'stand back and standby', the governor said he is 'rallying' groups such as the ones that plotted her kidnap

Continue reading...

Donald Trump says he will not participate in virtual debate with Joe Biden – video

Posted on by

The US president made his announcement in a Fox Business interview, moments after the commission that oversees the presidential election debates said the next event would be conducted from remote locations after Trump's Covid-19 diagnosis. The White House has refused to say when the president's last negative test for the virus was and, as a result, it is unclear how long he has been positive. The next debate is scheduled for 15 October

Continue reading...

Why Edinburgh University’s lockdown study is not all it seems

Posted on by

Commentators have used study as evidence government was too quick to impose full lockdown but conclusions not so clear

While it has been widely accepted that the closure of UK schools in March was bad for the life chances of its children, a research paper from the University of Edinburgh has gone as far as to say that the move could have contributed to a higher Covid-19 death toll.

The study, published in the British Medical Journal, suggested lockdown restrictions were the most effective way of reducing peak demand for intensive care unit beds, but argued they were also likely to prolong the epidemic because, once lifted, they left a large population susceptible to the virus.

Continue reading...

Trump says he won’t participate in virtual presidential debate with Biden – live

Posted on by

It took maybe an hour for people close to Trump, as well as his opponents, to speculate that the president’s decision not to participate in the next presidential debate could change.

Trump economic advisor, Larry Kudlow, said in an interview with Fox News that Trump’s position could be a “negotiation point,” and that he would like to see the president participate.

In a wide ranging interview with Fox Business, Donald Trump provided an update on his coronavirus infection.

The president confirmed he is still taking the strong steroid dexamethasone. It’s widely available in hospitals and doctors have highlighted it can make the patient feel better than they actually are, which could help explain some of the president’s unusually upbeat descriptions of how he is feeling over the past several days.

Continue reading...

Singapore launches Covid-secure luxury cruises … to nowhere

Posted on by

City state follows Qantas in offering jaunts with no destination with ships half full and masks mandatory

Singapore is launching Covid-secure cruise holidays to nowhere, in the latest attempt to offer a long-distance travel experience with no stops.

Australian airline Qantas drew criticism from environmental groups last month after advertising a seven-hour round trip from Sydney including fly-pasts of famous sights including Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef.

Continue reading...

Pubs and restaurants: do scientists think Covid closures and curfews work?

Posted on by

While virus can spread easily in crowded indoor venues, 10pm cut-off is questionable

Pubs, bars and restaurants in Scotland will be banned from serving alcohol to customers indoors for more than two weeks, while pubs in northern England face the possibility of tighter restrictions. But what does the science say?

Continue reading...

National Trust to cut 1,300 jobs as a result of Covid-19 crisis

Posted on by

More than 500 compulsory redundancies as charity aims for annual savings of £100m

Almost 1,300 jobs are to be lost at the National Trust as a result of the coronavirus crisis, but the charity said it had more than halved the number of compulsory redundancies it expected to make.

A union has described the job losses as “devastating” for people affected but also called the plan “a reasonable way to move forward”.

Continue reading...

Scottish pubs lash out at ‘catastrophic’ Covid crackdown

Posted on by

Bar and restaurant owners say they are ‘getting picked on’ and measures will hit young staff

The Scottish government is facing a fierce backlash after Nicola Sturgeon announced a crackdown on indoor drinking in licensed premises, as one leading adviser said more needed to be done to ensure people were sticking to the rules in their own homes.

Scottish pub, bar and restaurant owners expressed anger and despair at “catastrophic” and “scapegoating” new regulations that are set to last for 16 days across the country, and people on online forums decried the “prohibition” that would result from harsher restrictions in central Scotland.

Continue reading...

North of England leaders vow to oppose lockdown without financial support

Posted on by

Politicians say businesses and residents will need economic lifeline if further restrictions are imposed

Ministers are facing open revolt from leaders in northern England over fresh coronavirus restrictions due to be announced within days, as mayors, MPs, and council leaders, vowed they would fiercely oppose any new measures without substantial financial support.

Pubs, bars, and restaurants across Merseyside, Greater Manchester, and parts of the north-east of England could be forced to close next week in an effort to slow the soaring infection rate.

Continue reading...

Mike Pence and Kamala Harris spar on Covid, race and climate in VP debate – video highlights

Posted on by

Mike Pence and Kamala Harris met in Utah for the only vice-presidential debate of the election, separated by Plexiglass barriers as a protection against coronavirus.

From the pandemic to healthcare and race to the supreme court, via a fly, here are some of the key moments

Continue reading...