Britain's lowest coronavirus daily death toll for a MONTH: England, Scotland and Wales announce just 350 COVID-19 fatalities - taking the total number of victims past 21,000
- The preliminary figure has yet to be confirmed by the Department of Health, which provides an official tally
- England declared 329 more COVID-19 deaths, Scotland 13 and Wales 8. Northern Ireland has yet to declare
- The daily death toll is known to drop on Sundays and Mondays because of a recording lag in NHS hospitals
- But the sharp fall adds to evidence that the peak of the UK's crisis has gone, with April 8 the deadliest day
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
The UK today announced 350 more coronavirus deaths - the lowest daily count recorded since March 30 when just 180 fatalities were registered.
Department of Health officials have yet to confirm the daily toll in hospitals. But England today declared 329 more COVID-19 deaths, Scotland 13 and Wales eight. Northern Ireland has yet to release its daily update.
Although the statistics are known to drop following the weekend, the sharp fall adds to evidence that the peak of the UK's epidemic has blown over, with April 8 known to be Britain's deadliest day (980).
The daily death toll - which took the total number of COVID-19 victims past 21,000 - is 22 per cent lower than the 449 coronavirus deaths announced last Monday and more than half the 717 declared on April 13.
In a message of hope for millions, Prime Minister Boris Johnson - back in charge after weeks recuperating from a serious scare with the killer disease - today admitted we are near the 'end of the first phase' of COVID-19.
In other developments to Britain's coronavirus crisis today:
- NHS doctors have been issued an urgent alert about a sharp rise in the number of children being admitted to intensive care with a serious 'inflammatory syndrome' that may be linked to coronavirus;
- Boris Johnson announced his comeback with a plea for Britons to stick to coronavirus lockdown rules - amid mounting signs the public is starting to take matters into its own hands by getting back to work;
- Economists warned the UK could take years to recover the ground it has lost, and taxpayers will be footing the bill for the government's bailouts for decades;
- A partial membership list of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) which informs the Government's coronavirus response is to be published after concerns about a lack of transparency;
- Ministers have insisted the 100,000-a-day target for coronavirus tests can be met this week despite the current level languishing at around 29,000.
Paramedics take a patient back into St Thomas' Hospital in central London
Announcing his long-awaited comeback today, Mr Johnson urged Britons to stick to coronavirus lockdown rules amid mounting signs the public is starting to take matters into its own hands by getting back to work.
The PM channeled Sir Winston Churchill's famous speech about the 'end of the beginning' by saying there are 'real signs' the UK is making 'progress'.
However, he warned it was also the 'moment of maximum risk' and now is not the time to 'go easy' on the virus by loosening 'social distancing' rules.
'We are now beginning to turn the tide,' he said in a Downing Street press conference. 'I ask you to contain your impatience because I believe now we are coming to the end of the first phase of this conflict.'
Mr Johnson said once the disease was under control the draconian curbs can be 'refined', and the government would say more in the 'coming days' about how it will 'fire up the engines of this vast UK economy'.
The government is facing growing alarm that while the rules have succeeded in stemming the spread of the killer disease, they are also bringing the economy to its knees.
BORIS JOHNSON ADMITS WE ARE 'NEAR THE END' OF THE FIRST PHASE
In a statement in Downing Street, the PM assured the country he is back in charge after weeks recuperating from a serious scare with the killer disease
Boris Johnson announced his comeback with a plea for Britons to stick to coronavirus lockdown rules today - amid mounting signs the public is starting to take matters into its own hands by getting back to work.
In a statement in Downing Street, the PM assured the country he is back in charge after weeks recuperating from a serious scare with the killer disease, and urged people to be 'patient'.
With his trademark blond mane looking longer and more unkempt than usual, Mr Johnson thanked everyone who had 'stepped up' in his absence.
And he channeled Churchill's famous speech about the 'end of the beginning' by saying there are 'real signs' the UK is making 'progress'.
However, he warned it was also the 'moment of maximum risk' and now is not the time to 'go easy' on the virus by loosening 'social distancing' rules. 'We are now beginning to turn the tide,' he said. 'I ask you to contain your impatience because I believe now we are coming to the end of the first phase of this conflict.'
Mr Johnson said once the disease was under control the draconian curbs can be 'refined', and the government would say more in the 'coming days' about how it will 'fire up the engines of this vast UK economy'. He urged Opposition parties to work with him, pledging to be 'transparent' about decisions.
Forecasters today warned the UK economy will not return to 2019 levels for three years - and taxpayers will be footing the bill for government coronavirus bailouts for decades.
The EY Item Club warned the recovery from the draconian curbs on activity might be slower than hoped, with the economy not expected to return to its late 2019 size until 2023.
NHS England today confirmed 329 more deaths, including 212 that occurred on Saturday and Sunday. The daily updates do not count fatalities that happened overnight - they only include those registered.
And the figures also only relate to deaths in hospitals, not in other places such as care homes. Official figures have suggested the true death toll could be up to 40 per cent higher than the Department of Health count.
Of the new deaths in England, patients were aged between 29 and 100. Twenty-two of the victims, including a 29-year-old, had no known underlying conditions. England's hospital death count now stands at 18.749.
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today announced 13 more deaths, taking the country's total fatality count to 1,262. And Wales has now had 796 victims, with eight more declared this afternoon.
It comes after Britain's chief scientific adviser today revealed that he and other senior scientists warned politicians 'very early on' about the risk COVID-19 posed to care homes.
The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) has been meeting approximately twice a week since its first coronavirus discussion on January 22.
Sir Patrick Vallance, who chairs the group along with Professor Chris Whitty, said they had 'flagged' the risk of care home and hospital outbreaks at the start of the epidemic.
While warnings about hospitals sparked a 'protect the NHS' mantra and a scramble to buy ventilators and free up beds, care homes saw no such efforts. Thousands of Britons in care are feared to have died from COVID-19.
The Government has been slated for its lack of support to care homes, with no routine testing available, no up-to-date records of the number of people infected or dead, and 'paltry' attempts to deliver adequate PPE.
BRITAIN'S ROADS WERE PACKED WITH TRAFFIC THIS MORNING
Traffic builds up on the A40 at Perivale in West London at 7.20am today despite the coronavirus lockdown continuing
Britain's roads were packed with traffic this morning as phone data showed that millions more people are taking to the roads in a further sign that they are starting to get back to work despite the coronavirus lockdown.
It will pile pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson who returned to work today as calls for an easing of the lockdown from within his party grow. With measures in place until at least May 7, he acknowledged frustrations over the restrictions but insisted he would not risk a second peak in the disease by relaxing them too quickly.
Photographs taken during rush hour showed queues building up on London roads including the A40 at Perivale and the A102 at Greenwich, while the M5 in Bristol and the M6 in Walsall were also busy with cars, vans and lorries.
Meanwhile rail commuters continue to pile onto London Underground trains as travel bosses carry on running a reduced service only for key workers, with Canning Town and Canada Water stations both busy this morning.
It comes as more businesses announce plans to reopen, with bakery Greggs set to reopen several stores in a trial, and key cutting and shoe repair firm Timpson opening some sites with strict hygiene and social distancing rules.
Mobility data from Apple based on requests for directions via its apps showed more people are now driving, but the use of public transport has remained static. Traffic in London on Friday and Saturday - the most recent Apple data available - was up 4 per cent on the week before. Walking is also steadily increasing - it was up 8 per cent on the week before in London on Saturday.
Live TomTom congestion data in London showed 14 per cent congestion at 8am today, down 49 percentage points on normal. But that represents a one percentage point increase on the 13 per cent figure recorded at 8am last Monday, and a two percentage point rise on the 12 per cent at the same time three weeks ago.
Data about care home deaths is being counted separately to hospital data, was only first published on March 31 and is 10 days out of date each time it is released. The next set of figures will be released tomorrow.
It was also revealed today that ordinary members of the public are to be allowed to quiz Government ministers at the televised daily press conference.
One question at the 5pm grilling will come from an ordinary voter who will pre-record their question to be put to a cabinet minister or science expert.
Questions can be submitted via the gov.uk website from now with one person chosen each day to put it to one of people who usually take part in the briefing - usually a minister and two experts.
They will have the option to record it as a video message which will later appear on television. But of they do not want to, they can have it asked on their behalf during the programme.
No 10 insisted today that the minister taking the press conference, which on some days could be the Prime Minister now he has returned to work, will not be told what the question is before it is asked.
It comes after public criticism of some of the question that ministers have faced since the daily press conferences started in March.
Britain's roads were packed with traffic this morning as phone data showed that millions more people are taking to the roads in a further sign that they are starting to get back to work despite the coronavirus lockdown.
With lockdown measures in place until at least May 7, Mr Johnson acknowledged frustrations over the restrictions but insisted he would not risk a second peak in the disease by relaxing them too quickly.
Photographs taken during rush hour showed queues building up on London roads including the A40 at Perivale and the A102 at Greenwich, while the M5 in Bristol and the M6 in Walsall were also busy with cars, vans and lorries.
Meanwhile rail commuters continue to pile onto London Underground trains as travel bosses carry on running a reduced service only for key workers, with Canning Town and Canada Water stations both busy this morning.
It comes as more businesses announce plans to reopen, with bakery Greggs set to reopen several stores in a trial, and key cutting and shoe repair firm Timpson opening some sites with strict hygiene and social distancing rules.
Mobility data from Apple based on requests for directions via its apps showed more people are now driving, but the use of public transport has remained static.
Traffic in London on Friday and Saturday - the most recent Apple data available - was up 4 per cent on the week before. Walking is also steadily increasing - it was up 8 per cent on the week before in London on Saturday.
Live TomTom congestion data in London showed 14 per cent congestion at 8am today, down 49 percentage points on normal.
But that represents a one percentage point increase on the 13 per cent figure recorded at 8am last Monday, and a two percentage point rise on the 12 per cent at the same time three weeks ago.
Meanwhile Google Maps showed congestion in parts of central and southern London, in another sign of more cars on the road today than in recent weeks since the lockdown began on March 23.
Anecdotal reports also indicate an increase in traffic, with motorists claiming a queue formed at the Blackwall Tunnel for the first time in five weeks.
It comes after Home Secretary Priti Patel warned drivers to stay off the roads unless their journey is essential following traffic volumes rising last week to 41 per cent of normal compared to 38 per cent the previous week.
NHS doctors were today issued an urgent alert about a sharp rise in the number of children being admitted to intensive care with a serious 'inflammatory syndrome' that may be linked to coronavirus.
In an alert sent to GPs, health chiefs at an NHS board in London said: 'There is growing concern that a [COVID-19] related inflammatory syndrome is emerging in children in the UK.
'Over the last three weeks there has been an apparent rise in the number of children of all ages presenting with a multi-system inflammatory state requiring intensive care across London and also in other regions of the UK.'
The children being seen with the syndrome often suffer from stomach pain, cardiac inflammation and 'gastrointestinal symptoms' - which could include vomiting and diarrhoea.
Doctors have compared the mysterious complication to toxic shock syndrome and Kawasaki disease which, combined, cause harmful internal swelling, fever and breathing problems - all hallmark signs of COVID-19.
But some of the children needing intensive care have tested negative for the coronavirus, further complicating the diagnosis and raising questions that another pathogen could be behind the condition.
It is not clear how many children have had the inflammatory syndrome, nor whether any have died with it. It is also unclear as to how old children are who are being struck down, or if there are any clusters of cases in the UK.
But it is thought to have only affected a 'handful' of children so far, according to one prominent paediatrician who admitted the complication could be caused by another pathogen.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiXWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmRhaWx5bWFpbC5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FydGljbGUtODI2MTIxNS9VSy1hbm5vdW5jZXMtbmV3LWNvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWRlYXRoLXRvbGwuaHRtbNIBYWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmRhaWx5bWFpbC5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FydGljbGUtODI2MTIxNS9hbXAvVUstYW5ub3VuY2VzLW5ldy1jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy1kZWF0aC10b2xsLmh0bWw?oc=5
2020-04-27 14:51:54Z
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