Babak Belurs

Kamis, 05 Maret 2020

Coronavirus: UK moving towards part two of virus plan as cases hit 90 - BBC News

UK health officials are moving towards the second phase of their response to the coronavirus outbreak.

In the "delay" phase measures will be ramped up to slow the spread of the virus, the country's chief medical adviser Prof Chris Whitty said.

He told MPs it was "highly likely" some people now being infected in the UK have no connection to overseas cases.

Three new cases of the virus in Scotland have brought the total number of positive tests in the UK to 90.

Speaking to MPs on the health and social care committee, Prof Whitty said the country was now "mainly" in the delay phase of the government's four-part plan to tackle the virus, but was still following aspects of the first phase.

It is still being decided what measures will be taken in the delay phase - but the government has said they could include banning big events, closing schools, encouraging people to work from home and dissuading the use of public transport.

What do I need to know about the coronavirus?

Prof Whitty said consequences of the delay phase included:

Pushing the peak of cases "further away from the winter pressures on the NHS" so that there was "more capacity to respond"
Buying time to allow the UK to improve its response or develop counter measures such as drugs, vaccines and diagnostics
There may be a seasonal element of the virus - so if the peak was delayed to spring or summer, the "natural rate" of transmission could be lower

Prof Whitty said the early stages of the delay phase were similar to the contain phase, and involved identifying cases of the virus, isolating patients, and tracing anyone who had been in contact with them.

"As time moves by, we then may start to move into the more socially determined actions... the kind of measures we can do to delay things which involve changes to society," he said.

He said it was likely that later in the response, elderly people and those with pre-existing health conditions would be advised to "have some degree of isolation from more public environments" and may be told, for example, to "avoid crowded areas".

On Wednesday the highest day-on-day rise in cases in the UK was reported, when the number of cases jumped from 51 to 87.

The UK's early response to the virus, which causes Covid-19, was based on the spread being controlled in China, with some minor outbreaks in other countries, Prof Whitty said.

But he added: "The chances of that happening are now very slim. Slim to zero."

'Marathon not a sprint'

Prof Whitty said there was "no need" for members of the public to stockpile food or medicine.

"This is going to be... a marathon not a sprint," he said.

The government has said it has a stockpile of important medicines and protective equipment, to counter any impact to global supply chains.

"There is nothing in the current environment that would rationally lead someone to want to go out and stock up on stuff," Prof Whitty added.

Prof Whitty added that access to critical care beds would be "under pressure at quite an early stage" in the worst case scenario of an epidemic in the UK.

In other recent developments:

UK airline Flybe has gone into administration and says coronavirus is partly to blame
England's Six Nations games against Italy in Rome on 14 and 15 March are expected to be postponed - rather than taking place behind closed doors - as a response to the outbreak
Iran will close schools and universities until 20 March in an attempt to curb the spread
Switzerland has reported its first death from the virus - a 74-year-old woman who died in hospital in Lausanne
California has declared a state of emergency after announcing its first coronavirus death, bringing the US death toll from the disease to 11
And the world's biggest dog show, Crufts, has begun in Birmingham, despite two major sponsors pulling out of the event amid fears over the virus

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said measures such as closing schools and banning big events "don't work as well perhaps as people think".

He told ITV's This Morning programme another way of responding to the virus would be to "take it on the chin" and allow it to "move through the population without really taking as many draconian measures".

"I think we need to strike a balance," he added.

Mr Johnson said it would be "business as usual" for the "overwhelming majority" of people in the UK.

The prime minister's official spokesman told a briefing in Westminster that the spread of the virus would cause "no change" to the end date of the Brexit transition period on 31 December.

About 90,000 people have been infected globally since the outbreak of coronavirus in Hubei province, China, in December, with cases in more than 50 countries and more than 3,000 deaths.

Last week, a British man who was infected on the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Japan became the first UK citizen to die from the virus.

How have you been affected by the virus? If you have had the virus or know someone who has and who is willing to share their experiences, please get in touch with us confidentiallyby email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:

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2020-03-05 11:48:45Z
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UK Airline Flybe Collapses as Virus Hits Weakened Company - U.S. News & World Report

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UK Airline Flybe Collapses as Virus Hits Weakened Company U.S. News & World Report
Collapsed Flybe tells passengers not to travel to airports BBC News
UK airline Flybe collapses as coronavirus crisis deals the final blow CNN
The France to UK flight routes lost due to Flybe collapse The Local France
Flybe: Airline collapses into administration sparking flight chaos Evening Standard
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2020-03-05 10:42:00Z
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Rabu, 04 Maret 2020

Coronavirus: Cases in UK jump to 87 - BBC News

The UK has seen its biggest day-on-day increase in coronavirus cases, bringing the total number to 87.

Almost all of the 36 new patients had recently travelled to affected countries or been infected by others who had done so, the UK's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said.

But it is not clear how three new patients in England caught the virus.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock is chairing a meeting of the emergency Cobra committee in London.

Prof Whitty - who earlier said an epidemic in the UK was "likely" - said people who have been in contact with the new patients are being traced.

Of the 87 cases in the UK there are 80 in England, three in Scotland, one in Wales and three in Northern Ireland.

What do I need to know about the coronavirus?

HOW IS THE UK PLANNING FOR AN OUTBREAK: How prepared are we?
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS? A simple guide
HOW TO SELF-ISOLATE: What you need to know
WHERE ARE WE WITH A VACCINE? Progress so far
A VISUAL GUIDE TO THE OUTBREAK: Virus maps and charts

Two of the latest patients are Scottish - one who lives in the Grampian area and the other in Ayrshire. One had recently travelled to northern Italy while the other had contact with a known positive case.

Two of the new patients are from Carlisle and both had recently returned from a trip to northern Italy. One is a member of healthcare staff at the Cumberland Infirmary.

Another patient tested positive after being admitted to Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester. The hospital remains open.

Lancashire County Council said two people in South Ribble who had recently travelled to Italy were isolating themselves at home after testing positive.

Students at Goldsmiths in south London have been told a visitor to one of the university's halls of residences had tested positive for coronavirus.

In an email, the university said the person was "being looked after" and that the student they visited was "self-isolating as a precautionary measure".

Meanwhile Buckingham University and the University of London have put back their graduation ceremonies to minimise the spread of the disease.

In "the worst case scenario", up to 80% of the UK population could be infected with coronavirus, which causes the disease Covid-19, Prof Whitty said.

But he said a move to lock down entire towns and cities across the UK would be "very unlikely".

In other key developments:

The release of the new James Bond film has been put back by seven months
Hundreds of thousands of businesses may not be able to claim on losses incurred by the coronavirus outbreak, despite a government U-turn
Hospitals in England have been asked to carry out more consultations by video to reduce the risk of the virus spreading
Italy is considering closing schools and universities across the country until mid-March - a decision will be taken "in the next few hours", its education minister says. Italy is the worst-hit European country with some 2,260 cases and 79 deaths so far - including more than 20 in the past 24 hours
Guests who left a quarantined hospital in Tenerife have been told to self-isolate for a further week after a British woman at the hotel tested positive on 2 March
CCTV images have been released of four men wanted over an alleged racist attack on London's Oxford Street, reportedly motivated by virus fears
There are fears of global shortages of some common drugs after India limited the export of certain medicines
Grants and low-cost loans are part of a $12bn (£9.4bn) emergency aid package to help developing countries
And Australians have been stockpiling toilet paper after the country's first death was reported

A major public health campaign urging people to wash their hands regularly for at least 20 seconds has also been launched.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said washing hands regularly was the "single most important thing that an individual can do".

Public Health England says to use a hand sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available, advising that hand washing is particularly important after using public transport.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced emergency legislation allowing workers to get statutory sick pay from the first day they are off work, not the fourth, to help contain the virus.

Mr Johnson told the House of Commons that people who self-isolate should not be "penalised for doing the right thing".

What have we learnt from these new cases?

It's the biggest daily rise we have had. But this is not unexpected - health officials have been warning we should be braced for an increase.

This could last for two or three months until a peak is reached.

Of the 34 new cases, three are worrying from the perspective that the government has been unable to establish how they were infected. They have no links to people who have been abroad to places where there are significant outbreaks.

That brings the total number of cases like this to five - and could be a sign that the virus is circulating in the community.

Some of the other new cases are not people who had been abroad, but were infected in this country by people who had been.

That in itself is a sign there are clusters developing that the health authorities will be working hard to contain.

No details are being released about where the new cases are or just how big these clusters are, leaving some key questions hanging.

The sick pay announcement means those receiving statutory sick pay would get an extra £40 a week, paid for by their employers.

The government has said up to a fifth of the workforce may be off sick during the peak of a coronavirus epidemic in the UK.

About 90,000 people have been infected globally since the outbreak of coronavirus in Hubei province, China, in December, with cases in more than 50 countries and more than 3,000 deaths.

Last week, a British man who was infected on the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Japan became the first UK citizen to die from the virus.

How have you been affected by coronavirus? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:

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2020-03-04 17:15:00Z
52780646516754

Coronavirus: Cases in UK jump to 85 - BBC News

The UK has seen its biggest day-on-day increase in coronavirus cases, bringing the total number to 85.

Some 29 of the 34 new patients had recently travelled to affected countries or picked it up from others who had done so, the UK's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said.

But it is not clear how three new patients in England were infected.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock will chair a Cobra meeting at 17:00 GMT, Downing Street said.

Prof Whitty - who earlier said an epidemic in the UK was "likely" - said people who have been in contact with the new patients are being traced.

Of the 85 cases in the UK, there are 80 in England, three in Scotland, one in Wales and one in Northern Ireland.

What do I need to know about the coronavirus?

HOW IS THE UK PLANNING FOR AN OUTBREAK: How prepared are we?
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS? A simple guide
HOW TO SELF-ISOLATE: What you need to know
WHERE ARE WE WITH A VACCINE? Progress so far
A VISUAL GUIDE TO THE OUTBREAK: Virus maps and charts

In "the worst case scenario", up to 80% of the UK population could be infected with coronavirus, which causes the disease Covid-19, Prof Whitty said.

But he said a move to lock down entire towns and cities across the UK would be "very unlikely".

In other key developments:

Hospitals in England have been asked to carry out more consultations by video to reduce the risk of the virus spreading
Italy is considering closing schools and universities across the country until mid-March - a decision will be taken "in the next few hours", its education minister says. Italy is the worst-hit European country with some 2,260 cases and 79 deaths so far - including more than 20 in the past 24 hours
Guests who left a quarantined hospital in Tenerife have been told to self-isolate for a further week after a British woman at the hotel tested positive on 2 March
CCTV images have been released of four men wanted over an alleged racist attack on London's Oxford Street, reportedly motivated by virus fears
There are fears of global shortages of some common drugs after India limited the export of certain medicines
Grants and low-cost loans are part of a $12bn (£9.4bn) emergency aid package to help developing countries
And Australians have been stockpiling toilet paper after the country's first death was reported

A major public health campaign urging people to wash their hands regularly for at least 20 seconds has also been launched.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said washing hands regularly was the "single most important thing that an individual can do".

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced emergency legislation allowing workers to get statutory sick pay from the first day they are off work, not the fourth, to help contain the virus.

Mr Johnson told the House of Commons that people who self-isolate should not be "penalised for doing the right thing".

What have we learnt from these new cases?

It's the biggest daily rise we have had. But this is not unexpected - health officials have been warning we should be braced for an increase.

This could last for two or three months until a peak is reached.

That brings the total number of cases like this to five - and could be a sign that the virus is circulating in the community.

Some of the other new cases are not people who had been abroad, but were infected in this country by people who had been.

That in itself is a sign there are clusters developing that the health authorities will be working hard to contain.

No details are being released about where the new cases are or just how big these clusters are, leaving some key questions hanging.

The sick pay announcement means those receiving statutory sick pay would get an extra £40 a week, paid for by their employers.

The government has said up to a fifth of the workforce may be off sick during the peak of a coronavirus epidemic in the UK.

About 90,000 people have been infected globally since the outbreak of coronavirus in Hubei province, China, in December, with cases in more than 50 countries and more than 3,000 deaths.

Last week, a British man who was infected on the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Japan became the first UK citizen to die from the virus.

How have you been affected by coronavirus? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Coronavirus: Cases in UK jump to 85 - BBC News

The UK has seen its biggest day-on-day increase in coronavirus cases, bringing the total number to 85.

Some 29 of the 34 new patients had recently travelled to affected countries or picked it up from others who had done so, the UK's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said.

But it is not clear how three new patients in England were infected.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock will chair a Cobra meeting at 17:00 GMT, Downing Street said.

Prof Whitty - who earlier said an epidemic in the UK was "likely" - said people who have been in contact with the new patients are being traced.

Of the 85 cases in the UK, there are 80 in England, three in Scotland, one in Wales and one in Northern Ireland.

What do I need to know about the coronavirus?

HOW IS THE UK PLANNING FOR AN OUTBREAK: How prepared are we?
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS? A simple guide
HOW TO SELF-ISOLATE: What you need to know
WHERE ARE WE WITH A VACCINE? Progress so far
A VISUAL GUIDE TO THE OUTBREAK: Virus maps and charts

In "the worst case scenario", up to 80% of the UK population could be infected with coronavirus, which causes the disease Covid-19, Prof Whitty said.

But he said a move to lock down entire towns and cities across the UK would be "very unlikely".

In other key developments:

Italy is considering closing schools and universities across the country until mid-March - a decision will be taken "in the next few hours", its education minister says. Italy is the worst-hit European country with some 2,260 cases and 79 deaths so far - including more than 20 in the past 24 hours
Guests who left a quarantined hospital in Tenerife have been told to self-isolate for a further week after a British woman at the hotel tested positive on 2 March
CCTV images have been released of four men wanted over an alleged racist attack on London's Oxford Street, reportedly motivated by virus fears
There are fears of global shortages of some common drugs after India limited the export of certain medicines
Grants and low-cost loans are part of a $12bn (£9.4bn) emergency aid package to help developing countries
And Australians have been stockpiling toilet paper after the country's first death was reported

Hospitals in England are being asked to carry out more consultations by video to reduce the risk of the virus spreading.

A major public health campaign urging people to wash their hands regularly for at least 20 seconds has also been launched.

Boris Johnson has said workers will get statutory sick pay from the first day they are off work, not the fourth, to help contain the virus.

In the Commons, the prime minister said people who self-isolate should not be "penalised for doing the right thing".

The sick pay announcement means those receiving statutory sick pay would get an extra £40 a week.

Officials believe up to a fifth of the workforce may be off sick during the peak of an epidemic in the UK.

How have you been affected by coronavirus? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:

Let's block ads! (Why?)

UK coronavirus cases jump to 85 - BBC News

The number of coronavirus cases in the UK has risen by 34 in a day, to a total of 85.

Twenty-nine had recently travelled to affected countries or picked it up from people known to have travelled from abroad.

But three more contracted the virus in the UK and no one knows where they got it from.

The UK's chief medical adviser said investigations and contact tracing had begun.

Earlier, Prof Chris Whitty said onward transmission and an epidemic in the UK was "likely".

"A wave is almost certainly coming, but we don't know the size," he said.

The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 80, with three in Scotland and one in Wales and one in Northern Ireland.

What do I need to know about the coronavirus?

HOW IS THE UK PLANNING FOR AN OUTBREAK: How prepared are we?
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS? A simple guide
HOW TO SELF-ISOLATE: What you need to know
WHERE ARE WE WITH A VACCINE? Progress so far
A VISUAL GUIDE TO THE OUTBREAK: Virus maps and charts

Prof Whitty said the new cases in the UK included 32 patients from England.

"Twenty-nine patients were diagnosed who had recently travelled from recognised countries or from recognised clusters which were under investigation," he said.

"Three additional patients contracted the virus in the UK and it is not yet clear whether they contracted it directly or indirectly from an individual who had recently returned from abroad.

"This is being investigated and contact tracing has begun."

Earlier, Prof Whitty said that up to 80% of the UK population could be infected with coronavirus, which causes the disease Covid-19, "in the worst case scenario".

But he said a move to lock down entire towns and cities across the UK would be "very unlikely".

Hospitals in England are being asked to carry out more consultations by video to reduce the risk of the virus spreading.

A major public health campaign urging people to wash their hands regularly for at least 20 seconds has also been launched.

Sick pay

Boris Johnson has said that workers will get statutory sick pay from the first day they are off work to help contain the virus.

In the Commons earlier, he said people who self-isolate should not be "penalised for doing the right thing".

That means those receiving statutory sick pay would get an extra £40 a week.

Officials believe up to a fifth of the workforce may be off sick during the peak of an epidemic in the UK.

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Selasa, 03 Maret 2020

British stocks, pound surge after surprise rate cut from the Fed - MarketWatch

British stocks surged on Tuesday after the U.S. Federal Reserve surprised markets with an intra-meeting half-point rate cut.

The rate cut — hours after a Group of Seven statement that left it to each country for fiscal and monetary policy in the wake of the coronavirus — sent the FTSE 100 UKX, +0.95% up by 2.3%, putting the index on track for its best one-day percentage gain since May 8, 2015.

The Bank of England also is expected to cut interest rates at its regularly scheduled meeting at the end of the month, though only by a quarter-point, as its current base rate is just 0.75%. The British pound GBPUSD, +0.4234% jumped after the U.S. rate cut on the narrowing interest-rate differentials.

FTSE 100 gainers included hard-hit British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines IAG, +7.23% which jumped 9.2%, and Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust SMT, +3.86% , which rallied nearly 6%.

Of stocks in the move in London, direct marketer 4imprint Group FOUR, +15.07% surged 17% after reporting a 22% pretax profit rise, hiking its dividend by 20% and saying trading in the first two months of 2020 have been in line with expectations.

Industrial equipment maker Rotork ROR, +9.61% climbed after reporting a 2.9% increase in adjusted pretax profit rise despite a 3.8% revenue decline. Analysts at UBS said the company’s controls division benefited from procurement and productivity savings.

Direct Line Insurance DLG, +3.78% rose 4.5% as the car insurer reported a 10% drop in operating profit in 2019 — which wasn’t as steep as analysts had forecast — alongside a 2.9% dividend increase and a £150 million stock buyback program.

Finablr FIN, -2.12% shares slumped by a double-digit percentage for the second straight day. On Monday, Finablr said its Travelex unit’s underlying operating will be hurt by £25 million due to the cyber attack, though it did note that a cyber-insurance policy will eventually offset a “material proportion.” Travelex is also being hurt by a lack of travel from the coronavirus.

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2020-03-03 15:12:00Z
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