UK in crisis on testing as officials release guidance on who to save first - CNN

The number of deaths linked to confirmed cases of the coronavirus reached a new UK high on Wednesday, the latest figures available, with 569 deaths recorded in a day, taking the total to 2,921.

Those deaths came as the British Medical Association (BMA) released new ethics guidelines for doctors that mean older patients with a low chance of survival could have life-saving ventilators removed so the machines can be given to healthier patients.

Newspaper headlines on Thursday blasted the government's failure to test more, even in typically-loyal British media outlets. "Why mass testing must be our No 1 priority -- and why we lag behind the rest of the world," said the Telegraph's online edition.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister told reporters Thursday that a total of 10,412 tests were carried out across the country on Tuesday.

A total of 2,800 National Health Service (NHS) workers have now been tested at drive-in testing facilities, Downing Street said.

"We acknowledge that more needs to be done in relation to testing. We need to be testing more people and we need to be making progress very quickly," the spokesman said.

Many health workers are self-isolating after showing possible symptoms of the coronavirus but could return to work sooner if testing showed they were not infected.

The latest figures come eight days after Johnson asserted that the UK was "massively ramping up" its nationwide testing program, and would continue to increase the number of tests carried out each week. The Prime Minister, who is himself in self-isolation after testing positive for the virus, posted a video to Twitter on Wednesday evening in which he lamented a "sad, sad day" in reference to the previous day's death toll of 563.

He stressed his efforts to increase the country's testing capacity, as well as listing the measures already put in place to deal with the pandemic and urging people to respect the restrictions currently in place.

"I want to say a special word about testing, because it is so important, and as I have said for weeks and weeks, this is the way through," Johnson said. "This is how we will unlock the coronavirus puzzle. This is how we will defeat it in the end."

Shortage fears

Health Minister Matt Hancock, now back at work after a week in isolation battling Covid-19, will set out plans later Thursday on increased testing, Downing Street said.

Earlier in the day, Paul Cosford, emeritus medical director of Public Health England, told Sky News that the UK was aiming to reach 25,000 tests a day by the middle of April.

Germany's leading virologist Christian Drosten said last Thursday that his country was carrying out 500,000 tests a week.

Authorities in Spain have said they are conducting between 15,000 and 20,000 tests a day.

Meanwhile, Italy has carried out more than 540,000 coronavirus tests in total, according to its Civil Protection agency. More than 34,000 were conducted nationwide on Wednesday, the agency said.

In France, which has focused testing on those seriously ill in hospital and health workers, the number of tests carried out "averages 9,000 daily," the National Health Agency told CNN. A health minister said Tuesday that France had the capacity to conduct 20,000 tests daily.

Cosford said Public Health England was in contact with its peers in Germany as the UK seeks to step up its coronavirus testing capacity.

"We're in constant discussions with colleagues in Germany -- and other countries -- around what they're doing, where their sources are coming from, what their supply system is. Of course we need to build this further," Cosford said

Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty warned last Wednesday that the UK did not have "sufficient testing" capabilities to identify cases, telling reporters that there was a "global shortage" of available tests.

UK health workers have also voiced concerns that personal protective equipment and some medical supplies are running low.

The government is "confident" that enough protective equipment is now reaching the medical front lines, Downing Street said Thursday.

In a positive development, a spin-off company of the Britain's prestigious University of Cambridge has developed a "rapid diagnostic test for Covid-19" which can deliver a result in "less than 90 minutes," the university said in a statement Thursday.

"The SAMBA II machines, developed by Diagnostics for the Real World, provide a simple and accurate system for the diagnosis of Covid-19 infection," the statement said. A Cambridge hospital expects to receive the first 10 machines this week, it added.

Older, sicker patients could lose ventilators

The BMA said its new guidance had been prepared for doctors who will need to make "grave decisions" about who should receive "scarce lifesaving resources" if the country's health system is overwhelmed by coronavirus cases.

"As such, some of the most unwell patients may be denied access to treatment such as intensive care or artificial ventilation," the BMA's ethics guidance note states.

"This will inevitably be indirectly discriminatory against both the elderly and those with long-term health conditions, with the latter being denied access to life-saving treatment as a result of their pre-existing health problems."

It says imposing an age cut-off would be illegal, but adds that older patients with pre-existing respiratory problems would have a "very high chance of dying despite intensive care," and are therefore lower priority for admission.

The UK government has previously warned the country's health system could be overwhelmed if strict social distancing measures are not followed.

A converted convention center in London is due to start operating this week as a massive field hospital for coronavirus cases and could soon be the biggest intensive care unit in the country.

A temporary mortuary is also being built in east London as the death toll from coronavirus in the city continues to grow.

CNN's Luke McGee, Vasco Cotovio, Barbara Wojazer, Valentina Di Donato and Ingrid Formanek contributed to this report.

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2020-04-02 15:24:13Z
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UK in crisis on testing as officials release guidance on who to save first - CNN

The number of deaths linked to the coronavirus reached a new UK high on Tuesday, the latest figures available, with 563 deaths recorded in a day, taking the total to 2,532.

The spike in deaths came as the British Medical Association (BMA) released new ethics guidelines for doctors that mean older patients with a low chance of survival could have life-saving ventilators removed so the machines can be given to healthier patients.

Newspaper headlines on Thursday blasted the government's failure to test more, even in typically-loyal British media outlets. "Why mass testing must be our No 1 priority -- and why we lag behind the rest of the world," said the Telegraph's front page.

Paul Cosford, emeritus medical director of Public Health England, told Sky News on Thursday that the UK was testing nearly 15,000 people a day and aims to reach 25,000 a day by the middle of April. Only "about 2,000" frontline National Health Service (NHS) workers have so far been tested for the virus, he said.

The latest figures come eight days after Johnson asserted that the UK was "massively ramping up" its nationwide testing program, and would continue to increase the number of tests carried out each week. The Prime Minister, who is himself in self-isolation after testing positive for the virus, posted a video to Twitter on Wednesday evening in which he lamented a "sad, sad day" in reference to the latest death toll.

He stressed his efforts to increase the country's testing capacity, as well as listing the measures already put in place to deal with the pandemic and urging people to respect the restrictions currently in place.

"I want to say a special word about testing, because it is so important, and as I have said for weeks and weeks, this is the way through," Johnson said. "This is how we will unlock the coronavirus puzzle. This is how we will defeat it in the end."

Shortage fears

Earlier Wednesday, UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma said the country was looking to grow its testing capacity from 10,000 a day to hundreds of thousands.

Germany's leading virologist Christian Drosten said last Thursday that his country was carrying out 500,000 tests a week.

Authorities in Spain have said they are conducting between 15,000 and 20,000 tests a day.

Meanwhile, Italy has carried out more than 540,000 coronavirus tests in total, according to its Civil Protection agency. More than 34,000 were conducted nationwide on Wednesday, the agency said.

In France, which has focused testing on those seriously ill in hospital and health workers, the number of tests carried out "averages 9,000 daily," the National Health Agency told CNN. A health minister said Tuesday that France had the capacity to conduct 20,000 tests daily.

Prof. Cosford said Public Health England was in contact with its peers in Germany as the UK seeks to step up its coronavirus testing capacity.

"I absolutely accept that we need to build this further. There is a lot of work that is going on in order to get this testing capacity in place," Cosford said. "We're in constant discussions with colleagues in Germany -- and other countries -- around what they're doing, where their sources are coming from, what their supply system is. Of course we need to build this further."

Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty warned last Wednesday that the UK did not have "sufficient testing" capabilities to identify cases, telling reporters that there was a "global shortage" of available tests.

UK health workers have also voiced concerns that personal protective equipment and some medical supplies are running low.

In one positive development, a spin-off company of the Britain's prestigious University of Cambridge has developed a "rapid diagnostic test for Covid-19" which can deliver a result in "less than 90 minutes," the university said in a statement Thursday.

"The SAMBA II machines, developed by Diagnostics for the Real World, provide a simple and accurate system for the diagnosis of Covid-19 infection," the statement said.

Addenbooke's Hospital, part of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, expects to receive the first 10 machines this week, it added.

Older, sicker patients could lose ventilators

The BMA said its new guidance had been prepared for doctors who will need to make "grave decisions" about who should receive "scarce lifesaving resources" if the country's health system is overwhelmed by coronavirus cases.

"As such, some of the most unwell patients may be denied access to treatment such as intensive care or artificial ventilation," the BMA's ethics guidance note states.

"This will inevitably be indirectly discriminatory against both the elderly and those with long-term health conditions, with the latter being denied access to life-saving treatment as a result of their pre-existing health problems."

It says imposing an age cut-off would be illegal, but adds that older patients with pre-existing respiratory problems would have a "very high chance of dying despite intensive care," and are therefore lower priority for admission.

The UK government has previously warned the country's health system could be overwhelmed if strict social distancing measures are not followed.

A converted convention center in London is due to start operating this week as a massive field hospital for coronavirus cases and could soon be the biggest intensive care unit in the country.

And a temporary mortuary is being built in east London as the death toll from coronavirus in the city continues to grow.

In a letter to residents, the Mayor of Newham Council, Rokhsana Fiaz, said the mortuary is being built in the Manor Park area because it is close to a cemetery and crematorium.

"The facility will act as a holding point before a respectful and dignified cremation or burial can take place to send a loved one on their final journey. Sadly relatives will not be able to visit the site," she said in the letter.

CNN's Vasco Cotovio, Barbara Wojazer, Valentina Di Donato and Ingrid Formanek contributed to this report.

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2020-04-02 14:25:45Z
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UK in crisis on testing as officials release guidance on who to save first - CNN

The number of deaths linked to the coronavirus reached a new UK high on Tuesday, the latest figures available, with 563 deaths recorded in a day, taking the total to 2,532.

The spike in deaths came as the British Medical Association (BMA) released new ethics guidelines for doctors that mean older patients with a low chance of survival could have life-saving ventilators removed so the machines can be given to healthier patients.

Newspaper headlines on Thursday blasted the government's failure to test more, even in typically-loyal British media outlets. "Why mass testing must be our No 1 priority -- and why we lag behind the rest of the world," said the Telegraph's front page.

Paul Cosford, emeritus medical director of Public Health England, told Sky News on Thursday that the UK was testing nearly 15,000 people a day and aims to reach 25,000 a day by the middle of April. Only "about 2,000" frontline National Health Service (NHS) workers have so far been tested for the virus, he said.

The latest figures come eight days after Johnson asserted that the UK was "massively ramping up" its nationwide testing program, and would continue to increase the number of tests carried out each week. The Prime Minister, who is himself in self-isolation after testing positive for the virus, posted a video to Twitter on Wednesday evening in which he lamented a "sad, sad day" in reference to the latest death toll.

He stressed his efforts to increase the country's testing capacity, as well as listing the measures already put in place to deal with the pandemic and urging people to respect the restrictions currently in place.

"I want to say a special word about testing, because it is so important, and as I have said for weeks and weeks, this is the way through," Johnson said. "This is how we will unlock the coronavirus puzzle. This is how we will defeat it in the end."

Shortage fears

Earlier Wednesday, UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma said the country was looking to grow its testing capacity from 10,000 a day to hundreds of thousands.

Germany's leading virologist Christian Drosten said last Thursday that his country was carrying out 500,000 tests a week.

Authorities in Spain have said they are conducting between 15,000 and 20,000 tests a day.

Meanwhile, Italy has carried out more than 540,000 coronavirus tests in total, according to its Civil Protection agency. More than 34,000 were conducted nationwide on Wednesday, the agency said.

In France, which has focused testing on those seriously ill in hospital and health workers, the number of tests carried out "averages 9,000 daily," the National Health Agency told CNN. A health minister said Tuesday that France had the capacity to conduct 20,000 tests daily.

Prof. Cosford said Public Health England was in contact with its peers in Germany as the UK seeks to step up its coronavirus testing capacity.

"I absolutely accept that we need to build this further. There is a lot of work that is going on in order to get this testing capacity in place," Cosford said. "We're in constant discussions with colleagues in Germany -- and other countries -- around what they're doing, where their sources are coming from, what their supply system is. Of course we need to build this further."

Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty warned last Wednesday that the UK did not have "sufficient testing" capabilities to identify cases, telling reporters that there was a "global shortage" of available tests.

UK health workers have also voiced concerns that personal protective equipment and some medical supplies are running low.

In one positive development, a spin-off company of the Britain's prestigious University of Cambridge has developed a "rapid diagnostic test for Covid-19" which can deliver a result in "less than 90 minutes," the university said in a statement Thursday.

"The SAMBA II machines, developed by Diagnostics for the Real World, provide a simple and accurate system for the diagnosis of Covid-19 infection," the statement said.

Addenbooke's Hospital, part of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, expects to receive the first 10 machines this week, it added.

Older, sicker patients could lose ventilators

The BMA said its new guidance had been prepared for doctors who will need to make "grave decisions" about who should receive "scarce lifesaving resources" if the country's health system is overwhelmed by coronavirus cases.

"As such, some of the most unwell patients may be denied access to treatment such as intensive care or artificial ventilation," the BMA's ethics guidance note states.

"This will inevitably be indirectly discriminatory against both the elderly and those with long-term health conditions, with the latter being denied access to life-saving treatment as a result of their pre-existing health problems."

It says imposing an age cut-off would be illegal, but adds that older patients with pre-existing respiratory problems would have a "very high chance of dying despite intensive care," and are therefore lower priority for admission.

The UK government has previously warned the country's health system could be overwhelmed if strict social distancing measures are not followed.

A converted convention center in London is due to start operating this week as a massive field hospital for coronavirus cases and could soon be the biggest intensive care unit in the country.

And a temporary mortuary is being built in east London as the death toll from coronavirus in the city continues to grow.

In a letter to residents, the Mayor of Newham Council, Rokhsana Fiaz, said the mortuary is being built in the Manor Park area because it is close to a cemetery and crematorium.

"The facility will act as a holding point before a respectful and dignified cremation or burial can take place to send a loved one on their final journey. Sadly relatives will not be able to visit the site," she said in the letter.

CNN's Vasco Cotovio, Barbara Wojazer, Valentina Di Donato and Ingrid Formanek contributed to this report.

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2020-04-02 13:34:01Z
CAIiEMTnCRmaL5PHZ30tO-GyHO8qGQgEKhAIACoHCAowocv1CjCSptoCMPrTpgU

UK in crisis on testing as officials release guidance on who to save first - CNN

The number of deaths linked to the coronavirus reached a new UK high on Tuesday, the latest figures available, with 563 deaths recorded in a day, taking the total to 2,532.

The spike in deaths came as the British Medical Association (BMA) released new ethics guidelines for doctors that mean older patients with a low chance of survival could have life-saving ventilators removed so the machines can be given to healthier patients.

Newspaper headlines on Thursday blasted the government's failure to test more, even in typically-loyal British media outlets. "Why mass testing must be our No 1 priority -- and why we lag behind the rest of the world," said the Telegraph's front page.

Paul Cosford, emeritus medical director of Public Health England, told Sky News on Thursday that the UK was testing nearly 15,000 people a day and aims to reach 25,000 a day by the middle of April. Only "about 2,000" frontline National Health Service (NHS) workers have so far been tested for the virus, he said.

The latest figures come eight days after Johnson asserted that the UK was "massively ramping up" its nationwide testing program, and would continue to increase the number of tests carried out each week. The Prime Minister, who is himself in self-isolation after testing positive for the virus, posted a video to Twitter on Wednesday evening in which he lamented a "sad, sad day" in reference to the latest death toll.

He stressed his efforts to increase the country's testing capacity, as well as listing the measures already put in place to deal with the pandemic and urging people to respect the restrictions currently in place.

"I want to say a special word about testing, because it is so important, and as I have said for weeks and weeks, this is the way through," Johnson said. "This is how we will unlock the coronavirus puzzle. This is how we will defeat it in the end."

Shortage fears

Earlier Wednesday, UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma said the country was looking to grow its testing capacity from 10,000 a day to hundreds of thousands.

Germany's leading virologist Christian Drosten said last Thursday that his country was carrying out 500,000 tests a week.

Authorities in Spain have said they are conducting between 15,000 and 20,000 tests a day.

Meanwhile, Italy has carried out more than 540,000 coronavirus tests in total, according to its Civil Protection agency. More than 34,000 were conducted nationwide on Wednesday, the agency said.

In France, which has focused testing on those seriously ill in hospital and health workers, the number of tests carried out "averages 9,000 daily," the National Health Agency told CNN. A health minister said Tuesday that France had the capacity to conduct 20,000 tests daily.

Prof. Cosford said Public Health England was in contact with its peers in Germany as the UK seeks to step up its coronavirus testing capacity.

"I absolutely accept that we need to build this further. There is a lot of work that is going on in order to get this testing capacity in place," Cosford said. "We're in constant discussions with colleagues in Germany -- and other countries -- around what they're doing, where their sources are coming from, what their supply system is. Of course we need to build this further."

Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty warned last Wednesday that the UK did not have "sufficient testing" capabilities to identify cases, telling reporters that there was a "global shortage" of available tests.

UK health workers have also voiced concerns that personal protective equipment and some medical supplies are running low.

In one positive development, a spin-off company of the Britain's prestigious University of Cambridge has developed a "rapid diagnostic test for Covid-19" which can deliver a result in "less than 90 minutes," the university said in a statement Thursday.

"The SAMBA II machines, developed by Diagnostics for the Real World, provide a simple and accurate system for the diagnosis of Covid-19 infection," the statement said.

Addenbooke's Hospital, part of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, expects to receive the first 10 machines this week, it added.

Older, sicker patients could lose ventilators

The BMA said its new guidance had been prepared for doctors who will need to make "grave decisions" about who should receive "scarce lifesaving resources" if the country's health system is overwhelmed by coronavirus cases.

"As such, some of the most unwell patients may be denied access to treatment such as intensive care or artificial ventilation," the BMA's ethics guidance note states.

"This will inevitably be indirectly discriminatory against both the elderly and those with long-term health conditions, with the latter being denied access to life-saving treatment as a result of their pre-existing health problems."

It says imposing an age cut-off would be illegal, but adds that older patients with pre-existing respiratory problems would have a "very high chance of dying despite intensive care," and are therefore lower priority for admission.

The UK government has previously warned the country's health system could be overwhelmed if strict social distancing measures are not followed.

A converted convention center in London is due to start operating this week as a massive field hospital for coronavirus cases and could soon be the biggest intensive care unit in the country.

And a temporary mortuary is being built in east London as the death toll from coronavirus in the city continues to grow.

In a letter to residents, the Mayor of Newham Council, Rokhsana Fiaz, said the mortuary is being built in the Manor Park area because it is close to a cemetery and crematorium.

"The facility will act as a holding point before a respectful and dignified cremation or burial can take place to send a loved one on their final journey. Sadly relatives will not be able to visit the site," she said in the letter.

CNN's Vasco Cotovio, Barbara Wojazer, Valentina Di Donato and Ingrid Formanek contributed to this report.

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2020-04-02 13:24:52Z
CAIiEMTnCRmaL5PHZ30tO-GyHO8qGQgEKhAIACoHCAowocv1CjCSptoCMPrTpgU

Coronavirus: Health experts 'frustrated' by low UK virus testing - BBC News

Health officials say they are "frustrated" by a lack of progress in expanding UK coronavirus testing.

Prof Paul Cosford of Public Health England (PHE) said "everybody involved" is unhappy testing has not "got to the position yet that we need to get to".

Prime Minister Boris Johnson responded to criticism of the UK's strategy by hailing screening as a solution to "unlock the puzzle" of coronavirus.

It came after the UK saw its biggest daily increase in deaths - 563.

As of 17:00 BST on Tuesday, the overall number of deaths from the virus in the UK was 2,352.

Mr Johnson, who is self-isolating in Downing Street after contracting the virus himself, has faced widespread criticism over his government's testing strategy - with around 13,000 tests available each day against a target of 25,000.

Prof Cosford said testing would hit 15,000 per day "imminently" and that PHE had played its part in ensuring tests were "available to support clinical treatment of patients who need it".

The government has confirmed that 2,000 NHS frontline staff out of half a million in England have been tested for coronavirus since the outbreak began.

Prof Cosford, PHE's emeritus medical director, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the figure was "nowhere near where we need to get to but it's a good start".

But Labour's Shami Chakrabarti said the slow pace of testing showed "a lack of clarity of what the plan is and how it is going to be executed".

Sir Paul Nurse, chief executive of the Francis Crick research institute - which will soon be able to conduct 500 Covid-19 tests a day - said a Dunkirk-style effort was needed to co-ordinate smaller laboratories and increase test numbers.

"We are a lot of little boats and the little boats can be effective," he said, referring to the evacuation of Allied troops from the beaches of the French city during World War Two.

He added: "The government has put some big boats, destroyers in place. That's a bit more cumbersome to get working and we wish them all the luck to do that, but we little boats can contribute as well."

In a video message on Twitter on Wednesday evening, Mr Johnson said that increased screening would be how the UK defeats the coronavirus.

"I want to say a special word about testing, because it is so important, and as I have said for weeks and weeks, this is the way through," he said.

"This is how we will unlock the coronavirus puzzle. This is how we will defeat it in the end."

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Mr Johnson said more coronavirus testing would enable staff who were self-isolating - either because they had symptoms or shared a household with someone who was sick - to know if they were safe to work.

Antibody tests - which look for signs of immunity in the blood - could also show who had already had coronavirus and was therefore not at risk of being infected or passing the infection on to others, the prime minister said.

However, these tests are not yet ready for use and it is not clear when they will be.

On Wednesday, Dr Yvonne Doyle, Public Health England (PHE) medical director, said during Downing Street's daily coronavirus briefing that the "intention" was for testing for frontline staff to increase from "thousands to hundreds of thousands within the coming weeks".

The prime minister's official spokesman said the government was working with NHS England, Public Health England and other organisations to boost test capacity with an additional network of labs and testing sites.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has held talks with industry figures, issuing what his department said was a "rallying call" to improve diagnostic capability.

However, some NHS trusts have said they are limited in the number of tests they can carry out due to continued shortages of swabs, reagents and testing kits.

One large English district hospital in the Midlands reported it was only able to test three staff members per day due to a lack of swabs, NHS Providers said.

Another trust in the West Midlands said that while it could carry out up to 300 tests per day, a shortage of reagent and testing kit availability meant only 20 were carried out daily.

Despite there being capacity for 12,750 daily tests, only 8,630 were taken on Monday, the prime minister's official spokesman said.

As of 9:00 on Wednesday, 152,979 people in the UK had been tested for the virus with 29,474 confirmed positive.

'Game-changer' test

Meanwhile, Addenbrooke's hospital in Cambridge has become the first in the UK to use a new, much quicker Covid-19 test for staff and patients.

Called Samba Two, it gives a result in just 90 minutes - as opposed to the 24 hours tests currently take - and has been adapted from an HIV test by a small Cambridge technology company.

Businessman and philanthropist Sir Chris Hohn, who is helping make the test more widely available, told the BBC it could be a "game-changer" in helping hospitals cope with the crisis.

In other developments:

• Loan and credit card payments could be frozen to support those struggling as a result of the coronavirus pandemic
• British Airways is expected to announce it will suspend around 36,000 staff due to the crisis
• Some 950,000 new universal credit claims were made in just two weeks from the middle of March - the normal figure for a two-week period is 100,000
• A third prisoner in the UK has died after contracting coronavirus at HMP Littlehey in Cambridgeshire
• Up to 3,000 armed forces reservists have been called up to aid the military response to the coronavirus pandemic
• The Treasury is to announce changes to its emergency loans scheme for businesses by the end of the week - after thousands of struggling companies had their applications turned down
• Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has become the fourth cabinet minister to self-isolate
• NHS 111 has responded to more than 1.7 million inquiries over the past 15 days from people concerned they might have symptoms of coronavirus
• Wimbledon is cancelled and Uefa has suspended all Champions League and Europa League matches "until further notice"

---

Do you work in the NHS? Have you been tested? 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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2020-04-02 10:30:00Z
52780704007123

'Shambles' and 'ridiculous': Why the UK media is scathing about the coronavirus-testing chaos - CNBC

London Ambulance staff members are seen with vehicles in the car park at the ExCeL London exhibition centre in London on April 1, 2020, which has been transformed into the NHS Nightingale Hospital to help with the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been forced to defend the lack of widespread coronavirus testing for frontline health professionals — a situation that has attracted widespread criticism from the public.

Making an online address on Twitter Wednesday, Johnson said testing was the key to solving the epidemic in the U.K., as it was revealed that only 2,000 frontline National Health Service (NHS) workers had been tested for the virus, out of around 500,000 NHS staff.

Johnson, who is himself self-isolating after testing positive for the virus, said that testing would be ramped up amid an outpouring of criticism from NHS workers, opposition parties and the media about the lack of testing.

'We're also massively increasing testing," Johnson said Wednesday. "This is the way through. This is how we will unlock the coronavirus puzzle. This is how we will defeat it in the end."

There are now 29,865 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the U.K. and 2,357 people have died from the virus, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Government data released Wednesday showed that the U.K. had registered its biggest daily increase in deaths, of 563 people, in the previous 24 hours.

The two tests

There are two tests for coronavirus: one tests for antigens, which are produced by the body in response to a coronavirus infection and show if an individual has the virus; the other, an antibody test, shows whether an individual has been exposed to the virus, and has developed immunity to it.

The U.K. has been slow to implement widespread antigen testing as only a small number of U.K. laboratories have been enabled to carry out these tests. The Department of Health said yesterday that testing capacity for inpatients stands at 12,799 in England, with just over 10,000 tests being carried out Tuesday.

By contrast, in countries like Germany and South Korea, mass antigen testing has been a key strategy in their fight against the coronavirus outbreak, and appears to have kept the death rate relatively low. Germany, which has 67,377 confirmed cases of the virus but only 732 deaths, is estimated to be carrying out around 500,000 antigen tests a week. The U.K. has only been testing very symptomatic cases, unlike Germany.

Antibody tests for the frontline

So far, testing has been constrained to antigen tests that see whether an individual has the virus.

However, antibody testing is a key issue in the U.K. right now, as thousands of healthcare professionals are self-isolating at home because they — or their family members — have shown symptoms, but it is unknown whether or not they have the coronavirus. 

On Wednesday, Johnson said the government would "massively" ramp-up antibody testing as this test is seen as crucial to determining who is no longer vulnerable to being infected or contagious themselves, and is able to return to work. Health Minister Matt Hancock said last week that the government had ordered 3.5 million antibody tests.

Neil Ferguson, a professor of mathematical biology at Imperial College London, whose studies are informing U.K. government policy towards the pandemic, said on Monday that antibody tests were in the final stages of validation and would hopefully be ready "in days rather than weeks."

Scathing response

As well as widespread appeals from frontline healthcare professionals for more testing, the U.K. media was scathing Thursday, with even papers that are usually sympathetic to Johnson's government critical of the dire lack of testing.

The left wing Daily Mirror tabloid headlined their paper with one word: "Shambles," while the front page of the center-right paper, The Times, had the headline: "Virus testing plans in chaos."

Free daily, the Metro, called the testing strategy "ridiculous," while the Daily Mail newspaper, which generally supports the current Conservative government, headlined with the statistic of "550,000 NHS staff only 2,000 tested." The Telegraph, another center-right newspaper, also led with the headline of: "Questions without answers," referring to questions posed on the testing strategy at the government's daily press conference.

The opposition Labour Party called on the government Wednesday to publish a clear "national testing strategy."

There's already been a furor over the apparent lack of personal protective equipment (or PPE) for frontline hospital workers dealing with an influx of people suspected to have the coronavirus.

Johnson said the government had been sending 397 million separate pieces of PPE to hospitals around the country.

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2020-04-02 08:58:18Z
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Grim one-day virus death toll for US, Spain, UK: Live updates - Al Jazeera English

Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States have all reported the highest number of deaths in a single day since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The US recorded 884 coronavirus deaths, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University. It has also confirmed more than 213,000 cases of the disease.

More:

In the UK, a further 563 people died from COVID-19, in what Prime Minister Boris Johnson described as a "sad, sad day".

In Spain, an additional 864 people died. 

Globally, about 938,000 have been diagnosed with the virus, and some 194,000 have recovered. Nearly 47,000 people have died from the disease, which originated in China late last year.

Here are the latest updates:

Thursday, April 2

08:45 GMT - More than a quarter of UK firms have cut staff: Report

More than a quarter of British companies are reducing staff levels over the short term as the coronavirus crisis hits the country's economy, a newly published survey shows. 

"Over a quarter (27 percent) of responding businesses said they were reducing staff levels in the short term, while 5 percent reported recruiting staff in the short term," the Office for National Statistics said. 

08:30 GMT - Ugandan doctors say lockdown could cause more deaths

Ugandan health workers have accused the government of endangering the lives of expectant mothers and those in medical emergencies by requiring that all seek permission to secure transportation to hospitals.

President Yoweri Museveni imposed a virtual lockdown on Monday to try to stem the spread of the coronavirus, including banning private cars from the roads during the 14-day period. He said the government would assist in transporting those who find themselves in medical emergencies to hospitals.

But there is no functioning public ambulance system for medical evacuations, with many pregnant women, as well as those injured in accidents or crime, often relying on private means to get rushed to hospitals. 

"Other medical emergencies like maternal have not stopped because coronavirus has come," Ekwaro Obuku, a former head of Uganda’s national association of physicians, told Reuters news agency. "No mother in labour pains should ask for permission to deliver her baby. We will end up having unnecessary and preventable deaths."

Some countries make wearing surgical masks mandatory

08:15 GMT - Thailand to announce nationwide curfew starting Friday

Thailand is to announce a nationwide curfew between 10 pm and 4 am starting Friday to try to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, the government has said in a statement. 

The curfew will have some exceptions, including for the transport of medical supplies, movement of people into quarantine, patients and travel of medical personnel, according to the statement shown to reporters.

"The prime minister will make the announcement this evening on national television around 6 pm," deputy spokeswoman deputy spokeswoman Ratchada Thanadirek told Reuters news agency when reached by phone.

07:45 GMT - Russia cases jump to more than 3,500 in record daily rise

Russia's coronavirus case tally jumped has jumped to 3,548, a record daily increase of 771, according to Russia's crisis response centre.

Cases have been recorded in 76 of Russia's more than 80 regions, but Moscow remains the epicentre of the outbreak with 595 cases, the centre said. Thirty people have died across the country, it said

07:30 GMT - Top UK health official says 'everybody is frustrated' over stalled testing

One of the UK's top health officials has said there is widespread frustration within the government that the country was not testing enough people yet.

"Everybody involved is frustrated that we haven't got to the position yet that we need to get to," Paul Cosford, emeritus medical director of Public Health England, told BBC radio.

"But we've got up to almost 13,000 tests a day being available," he said.

07:20 GMT - Almost 900,000 Spanish workers lost their job since lockdown

Some 898,822 workers lost their jobs since March 12 in Spain, social security data showed on Thursday, more than half of which are temporary workers.

The number of people officially registered as unemployed in the country rose to 3.5 million in March, the highest level since April 2017.

07:15 GMT - Cyprus extends flight ban for another two weeks

Cyprus has extended a ban on commercial air links with 28 countries for another two weeks  to curb the spread of coronavirus.

The ban, introduced on March 21 for a 14-day period, will remain for a further 14 days, Cypriot Minister of Transport Yiannis Karousos said in a tweet. He said the decision was dictated by the situation in Cyprus, and the "dramatic" situation in other European states.

Cyprus has recorded 320 coronavirus cases and nine deaths. It has imposed tough restrictions on movement, including a night curfew and allowing people to leave their homes only once a day with a special permit. 

07:05 GMT - China says US officials made 'shameless' comments about its reporting

China's foreign ministry said US officials are making "shameless" comments casting doubt about China's reporting of coronavirus cases in the country.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said during a daily briefing that China has been open and transparent about the coronavirus outbreak that began in the country late last year, and accused the US of politicising a health issue, adding that the US  should instead focus on the safety of its people.

The statement comes after the US intelligence community, in a classified report to the White House, concluded that China's reporting has been intentionally incomplete, according to media reports. 

Foreign ministry spokeswoman said China has been open and transparent about the coronavirus outbreak  [Aly Song/Reuters]

07:00 GMT - British Airways in union talks to suspend about 32,000 staff: Report

British Airways is in talks with its union to discuss a plan to suspend about 32,000 staff in response to the coronavirus pandemic, a person familiar with the situation told Reuters news agency.

The British flag carrier has cut flights and warned it will need to cut jobs to survive the outbreak as the battered aviation sector scrambles to lower costs.

06:45 GMT - Greece quarantines migrant camp after positive test

Greece has quarantined a migrant camp after 20 asylum seekers tested positive for coronavirus, the migration ministry has said.

Movement in and out of the Ritsona camp, 75 kilometres (45 miles) northeast of Athens and home to some 2,500 people, will be restricted for 14 days the ministry said, adding that police would monitor implementation.

Sixty-three people were tested after a 19-year-old female migrant who gave birth in an Athens hospital was found to be infected, becoming the first recorded case among thousands of asylum seekers kept in overcrowded camps across the country. None of the confirmed cases had any symptoms, the ministry said.

Thousands of asylum seekers are kept in overcrowded camps across Greece [File: Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters]

06:40 GMT - Thailand reports 104 new cases, three new deaths

Thailand has reported 104 new coronavirus cases, bringing its total to 1,875 cases, a spokesman for the government's Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration has said.

Three new deaths in the country bring total deaths to 15, spokesman Taweesin Wisanuyothin said.

06:30 GMT - China says new deaths steady at six

China reported six new coronavirus deaths as of the end of Wednesday, the same number as the previous day. 

China had 35 new cases on April 1, all of which were imported, the National Health Commission said. 

06:15 GMT - New holiday for Indonesia to replace traditional Eid exodus?

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has said the government is considering announcing a new national holiday to prevent the annual mass exodus that usually takes place at the end of the Muslim fasting month, Ramadan.

Widodo said at a cabinet meeting that measures could be put in place during the new holiday to help "bring some calm to the people".

Minister of Social Affairs Juliari Batubara also told reporters that the government plans to give special assistance to residents of Jakarta this year to limit the exodus from the capital during the holiday period, which falls over April and May. 

Nearly 90 percent of Indonesians are Muslim and usually return to their home villages at the end of Ramadan, buying new clothes and enjoying a feast with their families and friends.

06:00 GMT - Australia begins pre-clinical testing for vaccine

Australia's national science agency has said it commenced the first stage of testing potential vaccines for COVID-19, as it joins a global race to halt the coronavirus pandemic.

Pre-clinical testing by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), comprising injecting ferrets with two potential vaccines, was underway at its high-containment biosecurity facility near Melbourne.

The first phase will take around three months, CSIRO's director of health Rob Grenfell told Reuters news agency, adding that any resulting vaccine would not be available to the public before late next year. Human trials of one of the two vaccines being tested was expected to begin later this month or early next month.

Australia has reported around 5,200 cases and 24 deaths.

More:

05:45 GMT - WHO expects Malaysia cases to peak mid-April

The number of coronavirus cases in Malaysia is expected to peak in mid-April, the World Health Organization said on Thursday, adding that there are signs of a flattening of the infection curve.

"Based on available data, the WHO Country Office has projected that Malaysia will see a peak in hospitalized cases in mid-April," Ying-Ru Lo, the WHO's head of mission and representative to Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore told Reuters news agency in emailed comments.

The number of critically ill patients is estimated to reach the peak within the next week, she said. There have been 2,908 confirmed cases in the country and 45 deaths. 

Hello, this is Joseph Stepansky in Doha taking over from my colleague Kate Mayberry

05:30 GMT - Summary of this morning's developments

I will hand over the blog to my colleagues in Doha shortly.

A brief summary of developments this morning:

• It seems the US will allow the passengers on board the Zaandam cruise ship, where there are a number of coronavirus cases, to disembark in Florida.
• The US is also planning to evacuate sailors from its USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier, which has reported cases of the virus. The ship is currently in Guam.
• Australia is optimistic that its "stay at home" measures are helping slow the rate of infection.
• Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is being mocked for his plan to send two masks to each household in the country.

05:25 GMT - Health workers in the Philippines battle not only virus but stigma

The Philippines has the second-worst coronavirus outbreak in Southeast Asia, but the doctors and nurses on the front lines find themselves battling not only a virus, but the stigma of infection.

As Al Jazeera's Ana Santos reports from Manila, they have been turfed out of their homes, told not to board buses and refused service at stalls and restaurants. 

05:05 GMT - Philippines ambassador to Lebanon dies of COVID-19

Bernardita Catalla, the Philippine ambassador to Lebanon, has died of COVID-19 at a hospital in Beirut.

Today, @DFAPHL lost one of its own. PH Ambassador to Lebanon Bernardita "Bernie" Catalla, a frontliner in our repatriation efforts, died from Covid19 in a Beirut hospital. A great loss to @DFAPHL & to our country. Our nation owes you a debt of gratitude. pic.twitter.com/Vh6nz96SE3

— Dodo Dulay (@dododulay) April 2, 2020

05:00 GMT - China sending flight to UK to bring students home

A chartered flight is currently on its way to London to collect a group of Chinese students who have been unable to return home. China has organised similar repatriation flights from countries including Italy and Iran.

The Chinese government says it has given out "health packages" with more than 11 million masks and 500,000 disinfecting products to Chinese students in hard-hit countries.

04:55 GMT - South Korea says 158 short-term visitors in isolation

South Korea says 158 short-term visitors have been isolated in designated facilities a day after it began enforcing two-week quarantines on everyone arriving from overseas.

Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip on Thursday also said 224 South Korean nationals and 11 foreigners remained at the airport awaiting the results of virus tests after showing symptoms when they arrived in the country on Wednesday.

Eight foreign nationals were denied entry after they refused to accept the quarantine.

04:30 GMT - Germany cases rise to more than 73,500

Germany's Robert Koch Institute says the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country has risen to 73,522 while 872 people have died of the disease.

Cases rose by 6,156 compared with the previous day while the death toll climbed by 140.

04:15 GMT - Jazz great Ellis Marsalis dies from pneumonia at age of 85

Ellis Marsalis Jr, jazz pianist, teacher and patriarch of a New Orleans musical clan that includes famed performer sons Wynton and Branford, has died after battling pneumonia brought on by the coronavirus, one of his sons said late on Wednesday. 

"Pneumonia was the actual thing that caused his demise," Ellis Marsalis III told Associated Press. "But it was pneumonia brought on by COVID-19."

The 85-year old jazz patriarch lived in New Orleans. Four of his six sons are musicians.

Ellis Marsalis, seen here at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival last year, died from pneumonia brought on by the coronavirus at the age of 85 [File: Sophia Germer/AP Photo] 

04:00 GMT - Japan's Abe under attack over two-mask plan

People in Japan have responded to a promise by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to send two reusable cloth face masks to every household with mockery.

The hashtag "Abenomasks", a play on the prime minister's signature "Abenomics" economic policy, was trending on Twitter.

Japan Twitter reacts to Abe’s plan to distribute "2 masks per household" pic.twitter.com/m8yHipjtv7

— magdalena osumi 💁🏼‍♀️ (@jt_mag_os) April 2, 2020

02:35 GMT - Shenzhen announces sweeping ban on breeding, consuming wildlife

The southern Chinese city of Shenzhen has issued the most sweeping ban yet on the breeding and consumption of wild animals.

The Shenzhen regulations permanently ban the trade in and consumption of wild animals, a step beyond the temporary ban issued by the central government at the start of the current outbreak. Along with snakes, lizards and other wild animals, it also bans the consumption of dog and cat meat.

Those who break the law risk fines reflecting the value of the wildlife seized, starting at 150,000 yuan ($21,400).

The coronavirus has been traced to a market in Wuhan that sold wild animals such as pangolins and civet cats, as well as more conventional fare such as chicken and fish. 

02:30 GMT - Australia says it is slowing the spread of the coronavirus

Some good news from Australia, where Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said the country is slowing the spread of the coronavirus, and parliament will reopen next Wednesday.

02:10 GMT - Trump says cruise ship passengers to be evacuated in Florida

US President Donald Trump says passengers on board the Zaandam cruise ship will be evacuated after it docks in Florida.

The Zaandam was anchored off Panama but was denied entry after passengers reported COVID-19 symptoms [Carlos Lemos/EPA]

The ship, where dozens have fallen ill from coronavirus, and at least two have died of it, has been barred from several South American countries.

The Zaandam and its sister ship, Rotterdam, are expected to enter US waters early on Thursday and dock in Fort Lauderdale.

Trump said the US was "sending medical teams on board the ships" and taking people off, after which non-Americans would be repatriated.

02:10 GMT - South Korea starts campaigning for parliamentary polls

South Korea started campaigning for the April 15 parliamentary elections on Thursday with the government's response to the coronavirus outbreak, and its impact on the economy, expected to be among voters' key concerns.

There are 253 direct seats and 47 proportional seats up for grabs, with voters able to cast two ballots - one for a candidate and one for a political party, according to Yonhap news agency.

The government's response to the coronavirus outbreak is expected to be among voters' key concerns [Yonhap via Reuters]

01:55 GMT - HRW warns on Cambodia emergency powers

Human Rights Watch said Cambodia's emergency law could enable longtime prime minister Hun Sen to restrict all civil and political liberties, target the media and crack down on human rights defenders.

"These sweeping, undefined and unchecked powers should set off alarm bells among Cambodia's friends and donors," HRW's Asia Director Brad Adams said in a statement.

The group urged Cambodia to submit a new draft prioritising public health and safeguarding basic rights. The bill is due to go to the one-party National Assembly next week.

00:15 GMT - Sailors to be taken off aircraft carrier by Friday: US Navy

Nearly 3,000 sailors on board a US aircraft carrier where the coronavirus has spread will be taken off the ship by Friday, Navy officials said on Wednesday.

Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said some need to remain on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt to protect the ship and run critical systems.

He said about 1,000 have gone ashore and that number will grow to at least 2,700 in a couple of days. Just under 100 of the nearly 5,000 sailors on the ship, now docked in Guam, have tested positive for the virus.

Read more here. 

At least 100 sailors on US aircraft carrier contract COVID-19

00:00 GMT - Israel's health minister and his wife test positive for coronavirus

Israeli Health Minister Yaakov Litzman and his wife have tested positive for coronavirus, his office said late on Wednesday.

The Health Ministry says the 71-year-old and his wife are feeling well, receiving medical care and will remain in isolation.

Litzman is the most senior Israeli official to be diagnosed with the virus and will continue to work from home.

----

I'm Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur with Al Jazeera's continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.

Read all the updates from yesterday (April 1) here.  

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2020-04-02 09:20:29Z
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