Queen Elizabeth will ask Britain to show resolve against coronavirus in rare address - FRANCE 24 English

Issued on: 05/04/2020 - 08:33Modified: 05/04/2020 - 08:33

Queen Elizabeth will call on Britons to show the same resolve as their forebears and take on the challenge and disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak with good-humoured resolve when she makes an extremely rare address to rally the nation on Sunday.

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In what will only be her fifth special televised message to the country during her 68 years on the throne, the queen will also thank healthcare workers on the front line and recognise the pain already suffered by some families.

"I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge. And those who come after us will say that the Britons of this generation were as strong as any," the 93-year-old monarch will say, according to extracts released by Buckingham Palace.

"That the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet good-humoured resolve and of fellow-feeling still characterise this country."

On Saturday, the government said the death toll of those who had tested positive for the virus rose by 708 in 24 hours to 4,313, with a 5-year-old among the dead, along with at least 40 who had no known previous health conditions.

Health officials have cautioned that high fatalities were expected for at least another week or two even if people complied with strict isolation measures.

Like many countries in Europe, Britain is in a state of virtual lockdown, with pubs, restaurants and nearly all shops closed, and social gatherings banned.

Britons have been told to stay at home unless it is absolutely essential to venture out to try to stop the spread of the epidemic. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is still in self-isolation, and a number of senior ministers have been among those who have tested positive for the virus.

'As strong as any'

"I am speaking to you at what I know is an increasingly challenging time," Elizabeth will say in what has been framed as a deeply personal message.

"A time of disruption in the life of our country: a disruption that has brought grief to some, financial difficulties to many, and enormous changes to the daily lives of us all."

Sunday's address, which will be aired at 1900 GMT, was recorded at Windsor Castle where the monarch is staying with her husband Prince Philip, 98.

In order to ensure any risk to the queen herself was mitigated, it was filmed in a big room to ensure a safe distance between her and the cameraman, who was wearing personal protective equipment and was the only other person present.

Earlier this week, Elizabeth's son and heir Prince Charles, 71, came out of self-isolation himself after seven days following a positive test.

The queen usually only broadcasts to the nation with her annual televised Christmas Day message and this special address will be only the fifth she has made.

The last was in 2012 following celebrations to mark her 60th year as queen. That came a decade after the preceding broadcast which followed the death of her mother, the Queen Mother, in 2002 when she thanked Britons for their messages of condolence.

She also gave an address at the start of the Gulf War in 1991, and most famously, delivered a sombre live broadcast after the death of her daughter-in-law Princess Diana in a Paris car crash in 1997 amid a national outpouring of grief and criticism of the royal family's response.

(REUTERS)

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2020-04-05 18:41:41Z
CAIiEIasmQrTi8ayFEoj-5tWlaEqGQgEKhAIACoHCAowwrSiCTCFgpgCMMDGywY

Queen Elizabeth II To Address U.K. In Rare Televised Speech About The Coronavirus - NPR

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In this Monday, March 9, 2020 file photo, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II arrives to attend the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in London. In a rare address to the nation taking place Sunday, the queen plans to exhort Britons to rise to the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic. Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP hide caption

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Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

Queen Elizabeth II will address the United Kingdom Sunday in a rare speech, urging self-discipline and resolve in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and thank health workers on the front-lines of the crisis. The queen, 93, will acknowledge the grief and financial pain Britons are enduring and thank health workers on the frontlines of the crisis.

"I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge," the queen will say, according to a transcript, "and those who come after us will say that the Britons of this generation were as strong as any."

The line is a clear reference to Britain's World War II generation that endured the Blitz and battled the Nazis to help free Europe from fascism. A single cameraman wearing protective gear shot video of the queen's speech at her weekend home, Windsor Castle, outside of London, while all other technical staff remained in another room, according to the BBC.

The U.K. is now on a soft-lockdown. People are only allowed to venture out of their homes for grocery shopping, medical reasons and exercise. But the government has warned that outdoor exercise could be banned if people continue to crowd parks and fail to social distance on this sunny weekend where the temperatures in greater London have risen to 70 degrees.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains in self-isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 while Carrie Symonds — his pregnant fiancée — has COVID-19 symptoms, but says she's now doing better.

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2020-04-05 17:32:44Z
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Queen Elizabeth II will ask the UK for 'self-discipline' in coronavirus address - CNN

Speaking in a pre-recorded video shot at Windsor Castle, the Queen will thank frontline staff at the UK's National Health Service, carers and others carrying out essential roles.

"I am speaking to you at what I know is an increasingly challenging time. A time of disruption in the life of our country: a disruption that has brought grief to some, financial difficulties to many, and enormous changes to the daily lives of us all," she will say, according to a statement from Buckingham Palace.

"I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge. And those who come after us will say that the Britons of this generation were as strong as any. That the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet good-humored resolve and of fellow-feeling still characterize this country."

She will also show recognition of the pain already felt by families and thank people who are following official guidance to stay at home to protect the vulnerable, the statement says.

The Queen rarely makes national addresses, typically speaking to the country only at Christmas time and when a new Parliament is installed.

Her address comes as authorities issue warnings to people to stay at home over the weekend, as the country emerges from winter and temperatures begin climbing above 20 degrees. On Sunday, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock urged people in the UK not to sunbathe. Parks in central London have become inundated as shops and other attractions across the country close.

The UK has reported more than 4,000 coronavirus-related deaths, the fourth-highest recorded in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The country is carrying out social distancing measures, closing schools and nurseries to most children, and all non-essential businesses.

After initially deciding not to carry out widespread testing, the UK government has reversed its policy and will aim to test 100,000 people a day.

The decision appeared to have been made as 8% of NHS staff were unable to work due to illness or to take periods of self-isolation.

The decision also comes as evidence grows that people can carry the virus and show no symptoms at all.

Hancock said on Friday that the deadliest peak of the coronavirus outbreak in the UK could hit on Easter Sunday.

Leading UK epidemiologist, Neil Ferguson, told the BBC on Saturday that social distancing rules could be relaxed in weeks if there are signs the coronavirus spread is slowing, but also hinted that special measures could be needed until the end of May.

Prince Charles, the 71-year-old heir to the throne, tested positive for Covid-19 recently and underwent a period of self-isolation. On Friday, the Prince of Wales opened the temporary NHS Nightingale hospital at a London convention center via videolink, saying that he considered himself "lucky" to have only experienced mild symptoms.

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2020-04-05 10:54:57Z
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Coronavirus: Five-year-old among latest UK victims - BBC News

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A five-year-old child with underlying health conditions is among those with coronavirus whose deaths were reported in the past day, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove has said.

The latest figures show 4,313 people with the virus have now died in the UK - up by 708 on Friday's figure.

Mr Gove said hundreds of ventilators were being manufactured every day and more had been sourced from abroad.

People have been warned to stay at home despite the warm weather this weekend.

Speaking alongside Mr Gove at the government's daily briefing, NHS England medical director Stephen Powis said: "The sun might be out, but that does not mean you should be out."

He said there is some evidence that social distancing measures are reducing transmission, and that the latest figures suggested new cases had begun to "stabilise".

However, he stressed that there was "no room for complacency".

During the briefing, Mr Gove paid tribute to one of the youngest victims of the outbreak.

"Our thoughts today are also with the family of the five-year-old with underlying health conditions who has tragically died," he said.

Analysis

By Robert Cuffe, BBC News Head of Statistics

The recent trends in deaths (doubling roughly every 3.5 days) would have predicted about 800 deaths today.

Remember that doubling every few days means that we should expect to see record new highs regularly.

Scientists remind us to look for evidence that the growth is slowing down - the first step on the journey to falling numbers of deaths.

So, compared to that projection, there is a potential silver lining to these figures - if the pattern continues.

But one day of below-trend growth is far too soon to know for sure.

It takes over three weeks from infection to death to being reported in these figures.

So while we can hope to see the effects of pre-lockdown social distancing soon, it will take longer for the effect of the lockdown, announced on 23 March, to become apparent.

There are now 41,903 confirmed cases in the UK, the Department of Health said.

The latest deaths in the UK include a further 46 people in Scotland, 13 people in Wales and eight more in Northern Ireland. There were 212 deaths in the Midlands, more than in London, where there were 127.

Mr Gove said seven healthcare professionals have now died.

Prof Powis said people were adhering to social distancing measures, and that public transport use remains "extremely low".

School attendance was down as low as 2%, Mr Gove added.

However, Prof Powis added that people must "resist the temptation" to go out in the warm weather. Brighton and Hove City Council tweeted on Saturday that too many people were meeting up with friends on the seafront, making social distancing "impossible".

Also in the briefing, Mr Gove said that ventilators - in addition to those being made in the UK - had been sourced from abroad, including 300 that arrived from China on Saturday.

He branded conspiracy theories spread on social media blaming new 5G masts for the spread of Covid-19 "dangerous nonsense".

In other developments:

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who remains in self-isolation in Downing Street after testing positive for coronavirus, has written to opposition party leaders inviting them to a briefing next week
• They include Sir Keir Starmer, who has been elected as the new leader of the Labour Party, with members learning the outcome via e-mail after a specially planned conference was cancelled
• Up to 4,000 prisoners in England and Wales could be released from jails in England and Wales early because of the coronavirus, the prison service said
• Thirteen residents at a Glasgow care home have died in one week following a suspected outbreak of coronavirus
• Mobile phone masts in Birmingham and Merseyside have been set on fire over false claims linking coronavirus to 5G
• Aldi has said it will lift purchase restrictions on almost all of its products from Monday - with the exception of hand wash, shower gel and UHT milk
• An NHS trust has been told it will have to pay almost £10,000 a month to provide families with free phone calls during the pandemic
• An increasing number of councils are instructing dog owners to ensure their pets are always on a lead in parks and open spaces
• Official data on testing in hospitals suggests that England is lagging behind Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
• The British Embassy in Manila has announced a plan to repatriate about 600 UK nationals stuck in the Philippines, after thousands of Britons became stranded around the globe amid the pandemic
• The Queen is due to make a rare special address to the nation on TV, radio and social media at 20:00 BST on Sunday

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2020-04-04 15:40:29Z
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British Actor Adam Bond Says UK's Coronavirus Policy is Dangerous - TMZ

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TMZ.com

A British actor known for playing Jesus in various films has the coronavirus and is extremely upset his country's quarantining rules are putting people at extreme risk.

Adam Bond is in a Malaysian hospital ... he's been there for weeks. Adam was filming his 7th movie in which he plays Jesus.

He must have felt something, because last month he asked to be tested, but he was refused. Adam persisted, and he says producers paid for a private test that came back positive. He was hospitalized, and he's going on 20-days in the facility.

Adam is clear ... he says if he didn't get tested he would have interacted with scores of people while shooting the movie, flown home and possibly infected people on the plane, and then, scariest of all, he has a flatmate with cancer and believes they would have died.

But Adam is most upset with the UK's policy of quarantining for 7 days. He's been in the hospital for 19 days with no clear end in sight.

Malaysia has the most COVID cases in Southeast Asia. Bond says that 2/3 of the cases came from a religious event held at Jamek Mosque in Kuala Lumpur. There were over 16,000 attendees at the four-day event, during which people shared food, prayed together, and lived in close proximity.

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2020-04-04 14:42:00Z
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Keir Starmer elected as UK opposition Labour leader - CNN

Starmer, 57 will replace Jeremy Corbyn, who announced he would step down after a bitter defeat at the last election that saw sweeping gains for the ruling Conservatives.

The change in leadership comes as the country battles its own coronavirus crisis and amid calls to improve public services, such as the National Health Service currently under strain.

Starmer is a former crown prosecutor who has promised to pursue policies aimed at improving social equality, including an increase to the top tax rate and a boost to social services, as well as take stronger action on climate change.

In a video posted to his Twitter account, Starmer said he would work with the Conservative government led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to tackle the coronavirus crisis, while also pointing out "mistakes or faltering government."

"In times like this, we need good government. A government that saves lives and protects our country," he said.

"It's a huge responsibility. And whether we voted for this government or not, we all rely on it to get this right," he said.

Starmer rose to prominence as a young activist lawyer before his career in politics. He more recently raised his public profile as Labour's shadow Brexit spokesperson. In the UK, the main opposition party has "shadow" ministers who hold political portfolios.

Starmer won more than 56% of the party vote, beating fellow MPs Lisa Nandy and Rebecca Long-Bailey in one round.

The new leader has pitched himself as a unity candidate amid continued divisions in the Labour Party.

The Labour Party has been mired in criticism over anti-Semtic remarks by several MPs in the past. Corbyn was widely criticized for his lax response to the problem within the party.

Starmer said in his video that the party needs to face up to the issue with honesty and apologized to Jewish communities.

"On behalf of the Labour Party, I am sorry.

"And I will tear out this poison by its roots and judge success by the return of Jewish members and those who felt that they could no longer support us."

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2020-04-04 10:55:00Z
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UK coronavirus adviser says lockdown measures could be eased by end of May - Fox News

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Is the coronavirus lockdown nearing its end in the United Kingdom?

A scientist who is been advising Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the British government revealed Saturday that the country could start easing some restrictions by the end of May if the number of cases decline.

“We want to move to a situation where at least by the end of May that we’re able to substitute some less intensive measures, more based on technology and testing, for the complete lockdown we have now,” Imperial College London epidemiologist Neil Ferguson told the BBC.

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Ferguson stressed that life would not return to normal, but rather be "more relaxed in terms of social distancing and the economy.”

The U.K. has been in an effective lockdown since March 23, with schools, bars, many shops and gathering places shut, and people told to go out only for essentials or exercise.

As of Saturday, the U.K. had 38,697 confirmed coronavirus cases and 3,611 deaths, according to statistics from Johns Hopkins University.

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The U.K. opened its first emergency coronavirus-treatment hospital in London on Friday in hopes of better containing the outbreak, while Johnson and Prince Charles have been among the confirmed cases.

The NHS Nightingale hospital in London will eventually have enough beds to treat up to 4,000 coronavirus-positive patients. (AP)

Authorities also have imploring Britons not to flout lockdown rules this weekend, when the weather is expected to be warm and sunny.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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2020-04-04 12:17:35Z
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