Babak Belurs

Selasa, 21 April 2020

Prince William and Kate Middleton lead birthday best wishes for the Queen - Daily Mail

Happy birthday Ma’am: Buckingham palace releases private film of the Queen as a child as Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Charles lead the nation in congratulating her on turning 94

The Queen is marking her birthday away from her family as the coronavirus lockdown continues across the UK
Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Charles led the tributes for the monarch in a display of unity today
Follows turbulent week for royals in which Harry & Meghan stopped co-operating with large section of media
She is with her husband of 72 years, the Duke of Edinburgh, at Windsor Castle in Berkshire with reduced staff
Aides have been planning to set-up Zoom video calls so she can mark the celebration with her family instead
Across the country, thousands have been wishing the Monarch a very Happy Birthday as she turns 94 today
With the UK in lockdown and thousands dead from the coronavirus, there will also be no birthday gun salutes
Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID

Published: 09:21 BST, 21 April 2020 | Updated: 13:21 BST, 21 April 2020

Poignant private home videos of the Queen playing with her younger sister Margaret were released by the Royal Family today to celebrate the monarch turning 94.

The touching archive films from the Royal Collection Trust reveal candid memories of the two sisters growing up and provide a rare insight into family life for the Queen as a young Princess Elizabeth.

The clips - sure to help boost the country's mood during the coronavirus pandemic - show Elizabeth playing with a pram as a toddler, on a seesaw and playing in a garden and dancing on a yacht with Margaret.

In a strong display of unity, Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Charles led tributes for the monarch after a turbulent week for the Royal Family in which Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to withdraw all forms of co-operation from many of the country's most popular news titles.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are likely to issue their birthday message to the Queen later today, due to the time difference where they are now based in Los Angeles, which is eight hours behind London.

Clarence House released four photographs of the Queen with Charles and his wife Camilla over the years, while Kensington Palace put out a picture of Kate and William with the monarch at the Chelsea Flower Show last May.

Captain Tom Moore wished the Queen a happy birthday from his Bedfordshire home as he was flooded with cards ahead of his centenary - and his daughter said her heart is 'bursting' over the £27million he has raised for the NHS.

The Queen is marking her birthday away from her family as the lockdown continues. She is with her husband of 72 years, the Duke of Edinburgh, at Windsor Castle in Berkshire with a reduced household for their protection.

Aides have been planning to set-up Zoom video calls to mark the celebration instead, allowing the Queen's children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to wish her a happy birthday.

With the UK in lockdown and thousands dead from the coronavirus outbreak, there will be no birthday gun salutes. The Queen decided the celebratory display of military firepower would not be 'appropriate' at this time.

Usually a 21-gun salute is fired by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery from either Hyde Park or Green Park, followed by a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company.

The footage released by the Royal Family today shows a young Princess Elizabeth and her sister Margaret dancing on a yacht

Touching archive film, from the Royal Collection Trust, shows the monarch as a child - released to mark her 94th birthday

The Queen and Margaret are seen playing in a garden together in their younger years

The video from the Royal Collection Trust also shows a young Princess Elizabeth playing with a pram as a toddler

Elizabeth and Margaret play on a seesaw in a garden when they were young children, in one of the clips released today

Princess Elizabeth smiles for the camera while on a horse in a video filmed during her childhood

The series of video clips of Elizabeth as a girl were released today to mark the monarch's 94th birthday

The Queen has two birthdays - the day she was born in April and her official one in June, which is celebrated with the Trooping the Colour ceremony, but this has been cancelled in its traditional form this year.

Kensington Palace wished the Queen a 'very happy 94th Birthday', and shared a picture of Prince William and Kate Middleton with the monarch at the Chelsea Flower Show.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall's Twitter account also sent its birthday wishes, with a collection of touching archive photos of Charles and his mother.

The royal family are, like the rest of the country, staying away from one another as they follow the social distancing rules amid the pandemic.

Captain Tom Moore wished the Queen a happy birthday from his Bedfordshire home as he was flooded with cards ahead of his centenary - and his daughter said her heart is 'bursting' over the £27million he has raised for the NHS. His message said: 'Happy Birthday your majesty. With the highest regards, Captain Tom Moore'

Kensington Palace wished the Queen a 'very happy 94th Birthday', and shared a picture of Prince William and Kate Middleton with the monarch at the Chelsea Flower Show

Prince Charles is presented with the runners-up prize by his mother, the Queen, following his team's defeat in the Silver Jubilee Cup match against France at Windsor Great Park on July 24, 1988 (the image was shared as part of the Clarence House tribute this morning)

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall's Twitter account also sent its birthday wishes, with a collection of touching archive photos of Charles and his mother

Prince Charles and Camilla also wishes the Queen birthday best wishes on their Clarence House social media channels this morning

Clarence House shared a selection of images from across the monarch's reign. Included among them was this image of Her Majesty and the Duchess of Cornwall at Royal Ascot last year

Queen Elizabeth II with her baby Prince Charles in the grounds of Windlesham Moor, country home in Surrey. The image was shared as part of the Clarence House tribute this morning

Philip, 98, made his first major public statement on Monday since he retired nearly three years ago, thanking key workers including refuse collectors and postal staff for keeping essential services running during the Covid-19 outbreak.

The couple's eldest son the Prince of Wales, who has recovered from the Covid-19 illness, is at Birkhall in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, with the Duchess of Cornwall, while the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex are all in their own separate homes around the country.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are staying at Anmer Hall, Norfolk, with their three children, while the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have quit as working royals, are thousands of miles away in Los Angeles.

A Buckingham Palace source said the Queen's birthday will not be marked in any special way, adding that any phone or video calls she has with family will be kept private.

The Royal Air Force also paid tribute this morning. It shared a selection of images from Royal visits over the years

The British Army was among the first to pay tribute to the monarch on its social media channels today. The Royal Air Force also paid tribute this morning. It shared a selection of images from Royal visits over the years

The All on the board Twitter account shared a message to The Queen

Tributes were paid on Twitter from across the country including from Andrea Leadsom MP (above and below)

MPs including Andrea Leadsom paid tribute to the Queen on social media today. The All on the board Twitter account also shared an image for the Queen this morning

Former royal press secretary Dickie Arbiter wished Her Majester a Happy Birthday this morning. Others also shared their best wishes

A large Royal Standard flies over Windsor Castle where the Queen celebrates her 94th birthday in isolation

It is expected Royals will gather on a Zoom video call to with the Queen a Happy Birthday. Last year, 16 members of the royal family were able to visit Her Majesty to mark her birthday - but the current restrictions mean video and phone calls will have to be used instead.

Writer and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth put on a special jumper to with the Queen a Happy Birthday today. He also read out a poem in a video on his Twitter account

The Royal Family has already been active on Zoom during the lockdown, with Prince William and Kate Middleton enjoying conversations with school children and an interview with the BBC.

They also revealed how they had been checking on the other royals, including the Queen and Prince Charles, through video calls.

Kate said the family had been through 'ups and downs' during the lockdown 'like lots of families' since it was imposed on March 23, but they had stayed in touch with other family members using video conferencing apps.

The bells of Westminster Abbey - the church where the monarch was married and crowned - will also stay silent on her birthday for the first time in more than a decade.

The monarch has also said Government buildings will be exempt from flying flags if it creates a problem.

The abbey is currently closed, meaning the celebratory peal which has taken place in her honour on her actual birthday - April 21 - every year since 2007, will not be able to go ahead, the abbey told the PA news agency.

'We are unable to ring our bells as the church is currently closed. So, it will be a virtual happy birthday this year via the abbey's social media channels,' a spokeswoman for the central London church said.

The Queen - the nation's longest reigning monarch - has been a source of stability during the crisis.

In a televised address to the nation, she stressed the country will overcome the virus, telling Britons: 'We will meet again.'

She also delivered what was believed to be her first Easter address, with the resolute message: 'We know that coronavirus will not overcome us.'

The royal family's Instagram Stories shared facts and photos about the Queen's childhood as part of activities for parents who are homeschooling to coincide with the week of her birthday.

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born at 2.40am on April 21 1926.

She was the first child of the then-Duke and Duchess of York, later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

Elizabeth was born by caesarean section at 17 Bruton Street, the Mayfair home of her mother's parents, the Earl and Countess of Strathmore.

She was never expected to be a monarch when she was born, but the abdication of her uncle Edward VIII in 1936 put her father on the throne, and changed her destiny.

She wed Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten in 1947, and became Queen at the age of 25 when George VI died from lung cancer in 1952.

Elizabeth II, who has been monarch for more than 68 years, is Head of State, the Armed Forces and the Commonwealth.

She is less than two years away from her platinum jubilee of 70 years on the throne.

The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery firing a 41 Gun Royal Salute to mark Queen Elizabeth II's 93rd birthday in Hyde Park, London last year. There will be no gun salutes this year

In her 2019 Christmas message, she acknowledged the 'bumpy' path her family, and the country amid Westminster's bitter Brexit battles, had experienced during the past 12 months.

During 2019, the Sussexes spoke about their struggles living in the public eye, and the Queen's second son Andrew gave a disastrous television interview about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and stepped down from public duties.

The monarch spent the first weeks of 2020 dealing with the fallout from Megxit - Harry and Meghan's bombshell decision to quit as senior royals, which ultimately led to them walking away from the monarchy completely in March.

The Queen has witnessed many turbulent times during her reign, but even she confessed of the global Covid-19 pandemic: 'While we have faced challenges before, this one is different.'

Captain Tom Moore wishes the Queen a happy 94th birthday as he is flooded with 25,000 cards ahead of turning 100 - as his daughter says her 'heart is bursting' over his £27m for the NHS

Captain Tom Moore has wished the Queen a happy 94th birthday as he himself is flooded with cards ahead of his centenary - and his daughter said her heart is 'bursting' over the £27million he raised for the NHS.

The World War Two veteran, who crowdfunded the sum by walking lengths of his garden in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, sent out a message to the monarch saying: 'Happy Birthday your majesty... With the highest regards, Captain Tom Moore'.

Captain Tom will himself turn 100 on April 30 - and the South Midlands Mail Centre in Northampton has already dealt with more than 25,000 birthday cards sent to him, with no doubt more to come before the day itself.

Staff at the mail centre have now reprogrammed sorting machines to separate Captain Tom's mail into a dedicated collection box, and are now expecting to deal with hundreds of thousands of cards and letters in the next few days.

Captain Tom Moore pictured with his daughters. Lucy Teixeira (left) said she 'just can't believe what has happened' following her father's fundraising (right: Hannah Ingram-Moore)

British World War II veteran Captain Tom Moore, 99, with his walking frame doing a lap of his garden in the village of Marston Moretaine, 50 miles north of London

The Queen is marking her birthday with her husband of 72 years, the Duke of Edinburgh (pictured in 2018), at Windsor Castle in Berkshire with a reduced household for their protection

Captain Tom's daughter Lucy Teixeira said she 'just can't believe what has happened' following her father's fundraising, telling BBC Breakfast: 'My heart is bursting... Well done, Daddy.'

She added: 'I'm having to get used to the thought of sharing you with millions and millions of people.'

Stephen James, the manager at the centre receiving thousands of cards for the veteran, told the BBC: 'None of the team have ever known one person receive so much mail.'

It comes as Britain's coronavirus death toll passes 16,500, with more than 100 healthcare workers dying with the infection.

The Queen is marking her birthday with her husband of 72 years, the Duke of Edinburgh, at Windsor Castle in Berkshire with a reduced household for their protection.

War hero Captain Moore is pictured with his two daughters Lucy and Hannah in a post on his Twitter account

He was posted to India where he fought in the Arakan Campaign of 1942-3, when the Allies pushed back against the Japanese in Burma

He had a battle with skin cancer a while ago and, a couple of years back, had a fall in the kitchen in which he broke his hip and gashed his head

Captain Moore was posted to India where he fought in the Arakan Campaign of 1942 to 1943 during the Second World War

With the UK in lockdown and thousands dead from the coronavirus outbreak, there will be no birthday gun salutes.

The Queen decided the celebratory display of military firepower would not be 'appropriate' at this time.

Usually a 21-gun salute is fired by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery from either Hyde Park or Green Park, followed by a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company.

Royal Mail will use a special postmark to wish Captain Tom a happy birthday, appearing on all stamped mail in the UK beginning next week.

Originally from Keighley in West Yorkshire, Captain Moore trained as a civil engineer before enlisting in the Army for the Second World War, rising to captain and serving in India and Burma

Captain Tom has said plans for his 100th birthday party were affected by the lockdown, but the huge swathes of support the country has voiced for him was 'a party enough for me'.

He had started raising money to thank NHS staff who helped him with cancer treatment and a broken hip - and has since launched a cover of You'll Never Walk Alone with Michael Ball and the NHS Voices of Care Choir

Captain Tom Moore yesterday revealed that Dame Vera Lynn sent him a letter after he finished his 100th lap for the NHS.

The 99-year-old received the touching tribute from the sweetheart of the armed forces after he knocked her off the top of the singles charts with his You'll Never Walk Alone fundraising single.

Captain Tom today said he was 'rather sorry' for scooping the top spot and said he was 'amazed' to have heard from Dame Vera.

The royal family are, like the rest of the country, staying away from one another as they follow the social distancing rules amid the pandemic.

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2020-04-21 12:36:33Z
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Coronavirus: Deaths at 20-year high but peak may be over - BBC News

Deaths in England and Wales have nearly doubled above what would be expected, hitting a 20-year high.

The Office for National Statistics said there were 18,500 deaths in the week up to 10 April - about 8,000 more than is normal at this time of year.

A third were linked to coronavirus, but deaths from other causes also increased, suggesting the lockdown may be having an indirect impact on health.

But experts believe this period could well be when virus deaths peaked.

They point to a separate analysis by NHS England which showed since 8 April the number of deaths in hospitals have been falling when you look at the date of death.

The daily figures presented by government just show when hospital deaths are announced - there is often a delay in recording and reporting which masks when a drop in deaths starts happening.

Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter, of the University of Cambridge, said the NHS England figures suggested we were past the peak and in a "steadily" albeit slowly improving position.

But he added: "Judging from the experience in Italy, this could be a lengthy process."

Prof Carl Heneghan, from the University of Oxford, said he agreed, saying London, which saw rapid increases earlier than the rest of country, peaked even earlier.

How bad was the 'peak'?

The figures presented by the ONS are different from those used by the government on a daily basis and the NHS England analysis.

Those rely on hospital cases confirmed by tests, whereas the ONS has used death certificates which show both fatalities in hospital and in the community on a weekly basis.

The figures show that the overall number of deaths topped 18,500. That is the highest since January 2000 when there was a bad flu outbreak.

It is also much higher than the recent bad flu season of 2015.

More than 6,200 of these deaths were linked to coronavirus and Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. One in six of these deaths happened outside hospital.

But the ONS also said deaths from other causes rose too.

Nick Stripe, head of health analysis at ONS, said they were trying to understand and find out why this was.

He said it could be that people with other illnesses were avoiding going to hospital for treatment - visits to A&E have halved since the pandemic started - or an under-reporting of coronavirus.

But he added it could "take years to work out".

He also said it was important to remember the human toll in these figures.

"Each one is a person. Each one has a family. We must always remember this."

A similar trend is being reported in Scotland where there were nearly 2,000 deaths in the week up to 12 April.

Deaths in Northern Ireland are also up.

How many are dying outside of hospitals?

There has been growing concern about the impact of coronavirus outside of hospital.

Care homes have begun reporting outbreaks among residents that have been difficult to control, they say, because of a lack of testing and protective equipment.

The ONS - because it relies on death certificates rather than testing - can capture the scale of deaths.

The majority of deaths happened in hospital, but since the start of the pandemic more than 1,000 have died in care homes.

More people have died from flu and pneumonia

Another way to judge the impact of coronavirus is to look at the overall impact on the numbers dying over the course of the year.

The figures show overall number of deaths are up. Nearly 185,000 people have died compared to around 175,000 on average compared to past five years - up until the pandemic hit the death rate was lower than average.

But the figures for 2020 also show the impact of flu and pneumonia compared to coronavirus.

The number of deaths from flu and pneumonia - at more than 32,000 - is three times higher than the total number of coronavirus deaths this year.

This difference will obviously narrow in the coming weeks as the flu season is coming to an end and there has been a rapid rise in coronavirus deaths.

Some also believe the number of coronavirus deaths have been under-reported - a lack of testing outside hospital means it is down to doctors to use their clinical judgement to decide cause of death.

How have you been affected by the coronavirus pandemic? 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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2020-04-21 11:48:45Z
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Coronavirus: Number dying hits 20-year high - BBC News

Deaths in England and Wales have risen sharply above what would be expected, hitting a 20-year high.

The Office for National Statistics said there were 18,500 deaths in the week up to 10 April - about 8,000 more than is normal at this time of year.

More than 6,200 were linked to coronavirus, a sixth of which were outside of hospital.

But deaths from other causes also increased, suggesting the lockdown may be having an indirect impact on health.

Nick Stripe, head of health analysis, said they were trying to understand what had been happening with this increase in non-coronavirus deaths.

He said it could be that people with other illnesses were avoiding going to hospital treatment - visits to A&E have halved since the pandemic started.

But he added it could "take years to work out".

Mr Stripe said you have to go back to January 2000 to see a higher number of deaths in one week - and he said the true figure may have been even higher as the week includes Good Friday when some death registration facilities were closed.

"Each one is a person. Each one has a family. We must always remember this," he added.

A similar trend is being reported in Scotland where there were nearly 2,000 deaths in the week up to 12 April.

Deaths in Northern Ireland are also up.

What does this tell us about coronavirus deaths?

This data is different from the daily death figures which are announced by government.

That looks at deaths in hospital where a person is infected with coronavirus, which does not tell us to what extent the death is caused by the virus.

The ONS figures rely on death certificates where the cause or contributory factors are listed.

As a result, the figures lag behind the government figures but give a fuller picture of what is happening.

They cover deaths in all situations - care homes and the community as well as hospitals - and so the figures are about a fifth higher than the government figures show.

Since the pandemic started, more than 1,000 deaths have been seen in care homes.

Overall a third of deaths during the week up to 10 April were linked to coronavirus.

More people have died from flu and pneumonia

Another way to judge the impact of coronavirus is to look at the overall impact on the numbers dying over the course of the year.

But the figures for year-to-date also show the impact of flu and pneumonia compared to coronavirus.

The number of deaths from flu and pneumonia - at more than 32,000 - is three times higher than the total number of coronavirus deaths this year.

This difference will obviously narrow in the coming weeks as the flu season is coming to an end.

But all of this relies on clinical judgement rather than a diagnostic test. Flu and coronavirus have similar symptoms - cough and fever - and flu is not tested for.

How have you been affected by the coronavirus pandemic? 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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Coronavirus: Masks for public 'could put NHS supplies at risk' - BBC South East Wales

NHS supplies of face masks could be put at risk if the government starts advising the public to wear them, hospital bosses have warned.

The government's scientific advisers are to meet later to discuss whether the public should be urged to wear masks in a bid to combat coronavirus.

But Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, warned there should be "clear evidence" to justify their use.

He said securing supplies for NHS staff amid huge global demand was "crucial".

'Huge global demand'

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said there is no evidence to support the use of face masks by the general population.

It says people who are not in health and care facilities should only wear masks if they are sick or caring for those who are ill.

But the debate around their use in the UK has been gaining momentum in recent weeks, with proponents arguing they can help reduce the risk of people with the virus passing it on to others.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called for the wearing of masks while travelling in the city to become compulsory.

Elsewhere, the French authorities will provide masks to people when lockdown measures are eased next month, and Americans are being urged to wear cloth face coverings in public spaces where social distancing is impossible.

The government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) is set to make its recommendations to ministers this week.

But Mr Hopson, who represents healthcare trusts across England, said the impact on the NHS must be fully assessed.

"Fluid-repellent masks for health and care staff are key to safety and to avoid the spread of coronavirus," he said.

"Securing the supply of masks, when there is huge global demand, is crucial. This must be a key consideration for government.

"There needs to be clear evidence that wearing masks, along with other measures, will deliver significant enough benefits to take us out of lockdown to potentially jeopardise NHS mask supply."

On Monday, another 449 coronavirus deaths were recorded in UK hospitals - taking the total number to 16,509.

The WHO guidance, issued earlier this month, warned that the use of masks by the public can create a "false sense of security" and lead to people ignoring other protective measures, such as hand hygiene and physical distancing.

While acknowledging the virus can be passed on by people who are not yet symptomatic, it says: "Current evidence suggests that most disease is transmitted by symptomatic, laboratory-confirmed cases.

"There is currently no evidence that wearing a mask (whether medical or other types) by healthy persons in the wider community setting, including universal community masking, can prevent them from infection with respiratory viruses."

Masks can even be a source of infection when not used correctly, the WHO added.

But a group of medics has called on people to make their own face masks to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

Masks4All, a campaign group started in the Czech Republic that has attracted the support of more than 100 UK medics, suggested homemade masks could slow the spread of Covid-19

Dr Helen Davison told the Daily Telegraph the group was "advocating the use of cloth masks as a precautionary principle" and that it had been inspired by action taken in other countries.

And Prof Babak Javid, consultant in infectious diseases at Cambridge University Hospitals, said "population mask wearing should be an important part of the response to Covid".

He added: "Once Covid cases are largely suppressed, we can stop wearing masks, their incremental gain will be low. But now, to really benefit from masks, the majority of us need to wear masks."

Meanwhile, an RAF aircraft left the UK on Monday for Turkey to pick up a delayed delivery of protective kit.

Amid mounting criticism of the government over the ongoing shortages of protective gear for NHS staff, Chancellor Rishi Sunak told Monday's Downing Street coronavirus briefing the government was working "around the clock" to address the problem.

Also at the briefing, the UK's deputy chief scientific adviser, Prof Dame Angela Maclean, said the number of new confirmed infections was "flattening out".

In other developments:

Dentists are warning that a lack of protective equipment is hampering efforts to provide urgent care, with some patients saying they were forced to pull their own teeth out
The House of Commons has held a rehearsal of new working arrangements to allow MPs to scrutinise ministers over video link
The Muslim Council of Britain has issued guidelines on how to celebrate Ramadan while observing social distancing measures
With 90% of flights grounded, experts are warning that some airports could close due to the impact of the pandemic
The BBC has identified 80 healthcare workers who have died with coronavirus since the start of the outbreak

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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2020-04-21 07:09:38Z
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'I’m not telling you!' Captain Tom shuts down Piers Morgan after Dame Vera Lynn probe - Express

Captain Tom Moore, 99, joined Piers Morgan, 55, and Susanna Reid, 49, on yesterday's edition of Good Morning Britain to discuss the impact of his charitable actions to help NHS charities. The war veteran has raised over £26 million for completing laps of his garden and releasing a charity single, alongside singer Michael Ball, 57, in a rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone. However, the host wanted to know more about a letter Dame Vera, 103, had sent to the fundraiser to thank him for his efforts, leading the guest to cheekily shut him down.

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The charity single, which also features vocals from the NHS Voices of Care Choir, went in at number one on the update of the Official Big Top 40 chart yesterday, surpassing Dame Vera and Katherine Jenkins’, 39, collaboration.

Although he beat his icon to the top spot, Captain Tom couldn’t be more complimentary of the war-time singer after he saw her perform during his days as a solider.

During his interview with Piers and Susanna, the war veteran recalled how the voice of the nation lifted his spirits during a time of crisis as he is doing for Britain now.

Having learnt the White Cliffs of Dover star had personally thanked him for his efforts to raise money for the NHS, the host was left in hysterics when his guest refused to answer his questions about the exchange.

Asked how he felt about receiving the letter from Dame Vera, Captain Tom said: “I was absolutely amazed.

“She’s always been such a top person backing up this country for so long with the White Cliffs of Dover. I think I will say to her thank you very, very much, Dame Vera.

“It is so kind and thoughtful for you to send me such a lovely note,” he added, to which the host then asked: “What did she say to you, Tom?”

The war veteran wasn’t going to give anything away as he replied to Piers: “I’m not going to tell you what she said.”

“They’re not [looking] after themselves all the time, they’re putting themselves in danger, serving all the patients so very, very well,” Captain Tom added.

The guest was also joined by his daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore, who explained how her father is coping with the media attention.

Given the war veteran has made headlines across the globe, his daughter told the hosts he is having to take lots of breaks as they try and adjust to their media schedule.

Rounding off the interview, the guest said he felt like he was in “fairyland” because of all the kind messages of support people have sent to him.

Piers commended Captain Tom and told him he was a modern-day superhero, rallying the world in its time of need.

The host has been supporting the war veteran’s efforts since he announced his fundraising plan, backing the petition for the 99-year-old to be knighted.

It’s been reported he will receive a Spitfire salute to mark his 100th birthday next week to celebrate his charitable donations to the NHS charities.

His mission hasn’t finished yet as the pensioner is continuing to walk laps of his garden whilst people still donate money to his JustGiving page.

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.

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2020-04-21 06:50:00Z
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Coronavirus: UK only formally asked Turkey for PPE shipment help on Sunday - after telling Britons it was on its way - Sky News

Britain only made a formal request to Turkey over a consignment of personal protective equipment on Sunday - the day after a cabinet minister announced the "very significant additional shipment" was already heading to the UK, Turkish sources have told Sky News.

Robert Jenrick, the housing secretary, said at the daily Downing Street press briefing on Saturday that 84 tonnes of the gear, including 400,000 urgently needed clinical gowns, would arrive in the UK from Turkey the following day.

It failed to materialise, but no explanation for the delay was given.

In fact two sources have told Sky News that no formal request was made to the Turkish authorities - who were not supplying the shipment, but whose help was sought to get it to the UK - until Sunday.

Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, said at the government's daily briefing on Sunday that he "hoped" the delivery would arrive the next day.

That did not happen, either.

A Royal Air Force transport plane is sitting on the tarmac in Turkey awaiting the personal protective equipment (PPE) after departing from an airbase in Oxfordshire on Monday afternoon.

The hope had been it would pick up the first instalment of gear and return home by early on Tuesday morning.

But it appears the flight was simply to "pre-position" the A400M aircraft in Turkey to be able to ship the first instalment of 84-tonnes of cargo as soon as it is ready.

The delay has caused embarrassment for the government, which is already under significant pressure because of a shortage of gowns and other protective gear worn by frontline staff as they treat patients with coronavirus.

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A government source said on Monday night that a commercial supplier in Turkey had been lined up to deliver the material over the weekend but something went wrong so officials were forced to ask the Turkish government for help.

A second UK source said the speed of manufacturing and paperwork may be causing the delays. Another factor could be the need to check goods meet safety and quality standards.

On the Turkish side, two sources said a formal request from the UK related to the PPE consignment was not made until Sunday and the Turkish authorities immediately assisted.

The sources also revealed that the manufacturer of the goods bound for the UK only submitted a request to the Turkish ministry of health on Monday for permission to export the gear.

Since last month, such permission is needed for PPE exports.

"The Turkish state is not responsible for any delay. We are ready to help in any way we can," one source said.

The second source said: "There was never a problem from the Turkish authorities. On the contrary, all permissions have been issued very swiftly."

The source added: "It's ridiculous to think that a country last week was helping the UK by donation and this week it is preventing (the export of PPE)."

Ankara gifted 250,000 pieces of personal protective equipment - 14 tonnes - to Britain over the Easter weekend.

With a round trip of about 12 hours, the RAF aircraft that has flown to Turkey could arrive back in the UK by early on Tuesday morning if it is able to load up straight away.

But that appears unlikely. Instead it could face a wait on the tarmac.

A second military plane is scheduled to fly to Turkey early on Tuesday to help bring back the PPE and a third could travel later in the morning, according to the defence source.

Those timings could slip or the number of flights be reduced depending upon how much can be fitted onto the aircraft.

The chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents organisations across healthcare, said delays on the shipment from Turkey "makes a difficult situation worse".

Niall Dickson said: "It would have been better had the government not made the announcement in the first place."

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2020-04-21 06:15:45Z
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Coronavirus: Masks for public 'could put NHS supplies at risk' - BBC South East Wales

NHS supplies of face masks could be put at risk if the government starts advising the public to wear them, hospital bosses have warned.

The government's scientific advisers are to meet later to discuss whether the public should be urged to wear masks in a bid to combat coronavirus.

But Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, warned there should be "clear evidence" to justify their use.

He said securing supplies for NHS staff amid huge global demand was "crucial".

'Huge global demand'

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said there is no evidence to support the use of face masks by the general population.

It says people who are not in health and care facilities should only wear masks if they are sick or caring for those who are ill.

But the debate around their use in the UK has been gaining momentum in recent weeks, with proponents arguing they can help reduce the risk of people with the virus passing it on to others.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called for the wearing of masks while travelling in the city to become compulsory.