Babak Belurs

Rabu, 20 Mei 2020

Coronavirus: NHS prioritised over social care during early stages of outbreak, minister says - Sky News

The government prioritised the NHS over social care early on in the coronavirus outbreak, a minister has told Sky News.

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said: "We needed to make a choice about testing, we did decide to focus upon the NHS."

Pressed further on whether it was government policy to focus on the health service first and foremost, he told Kay Burley@Breakfast: "That's right. I think that was absolutely essential.

"Now is not time to blame people. I think that would be wholly counterproductive.

"We have got to work together, not just with the care home sector but with our scientists, all the people who advise government, and together come to sensible solutions."

Mr Buckland said there have been "huge issues" in adult social care, adding: "We've seen a huge tragedy in our care homes which is a great regret."

Admitting there was "more to do", he added: "There have been lots of examples of care homes that have mercifully stayed infection free, but sadly [there have been] far too many cases of infection and then death.

"I think every country in the world will look back and say there are things we could have done differently."

Sky News analysis of Office for National Statistics figures shows that 39,404 people died in care homes in England and Wales between 13 March and 8 May.

This means there have been more than 20,000 excess deaths in care homes compared to the five-year average.

Another minister said on Tuesday that some hospital patients with COVID-19 may have been transferred into care homes, seeding it into communities.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said there could have been "some instances" where those without symptoms were moved untested into care homes.

Addressing a committee of MPs that same day, care home bosses accused the government of prioritising the NHS and not care homes and failing to make good on promises of support.

Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, which represents care homes, said that from the start of the pandemic care homes were a second thought despite housing the "most vulnerable people".

Analysis - Time for honesty about early coronavirus response may well have come
by Kate McCann, political correspondent

After thousands of deaths across the country and many of those in care homes, ministers are facing growing calls to admit where things went wrong.

While very few are calling for an inquiry right now, lots of people want to know why testing was restricted to hospitals only and why patients were transferred back into care homes without being checked for coronavirus first.

Judging by Robert Buckland's tone this morning in an interview with Kay Burley, the time for honesty about those decisions may well have come.

The justice secretary admitted that more must be done to tackle the outbreak in care homes and added that a decision had been made during the early stages to focus testing on hospital patients, not those in the wider community - many believe this contributed to the fast spread of the virus among the elderly in homes.

He said he would be "appalled" if people thought the government was passing the buck to councils when it comes to care home deaths, but added too that the sector is fragmented and that admissions back from hospital were not as widespread as some have claimed.

The public wants the government to succeed and they are, at least for the most part, willing to accept that mistakes have been made in coping with a disease very few understood.

But they want to see humility and honesty from ministers too. Today, in Mr Buckland, they got a taste of that.

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2020-05-20 07:15:10Z
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Selasa, 19 Mei 2020

Heartbroken aunt of woman found ‘chopped in half and torso’ dumped in suitcases pays tribute to ‘sw - The Sun

A HEARTBROKEN aunt has paid tribute to her "lovely, sweet natured" niece who was was found chopped in half and stuffed in two suitcases.

Phoenix Netts, 28, is thought to have been living at a women's refuge in Birmingham when she was killed.

Phoenix Netts was found chopped in half and dumped in two suitcases

Ana-Liliana Netts described her niece as a sweet natured girlCredit: Facebook

Phoenix was found dead in the Forest of Dean

Her body was later dumped in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. Police fear she had been sawed in half and burned.

Her devastated aunt, Ana-Liliana Netts, 55, opened up about the horror of hearing about her niece's tragic death.

She told the Mail Online: "I'm shocked that she has died in such a horrific way.

"I hadn't seen her since she was little, but she was a lovely, sweet-natured girl. Her father used to tell me proudly how clever she was.

"She used to live in Croydon, she was from a very nice family. They must be heartbroken.

"I always remember her as a nice little girl. I'm so sorry she died like this."

'DEVASTATED'

Phoenix's family issued an emotional statement in response to her tragic death on May 12.

It read: “As a family we are devastated with what has happened to Phoenix.

“We have family and good friends supporting us and our thanks go out to all of them.

“We would also like to thank all the police officers involved in the investigation for their hard work and sensitivity."

Meanwhile friends of Miss Netts have paid tribute, with one saying: "I can’t believe it is her. She was a lovely girl. I thought she had got away from all this."

Neighbour Wahidur Rahman, 50, said: "Phoenix was a really nice young girl. She was lovely.

"I thought something might have happened to her because I hadn’t seen her in a while."

TRAGIC DEATH

It comes after two people appeared in court on Tuesday charged over Phoenix's killing.

Gareeca Conita Gordon, 27, who also lived at the seven-bed refuge in Birmingham, has been charged with murder after the grim discovery was made last week.

Married dad-of-two Mahesh Sorathiya, 38, from Wolverhampton, was charged with assisting an offender after the body parts were discovered.

A provisional trial date was set for November 10 this year.

Neighbours reported Phoenix lived at the same women's refuge in Birmingham as Gordon.

It is understood the woman was last seen in April with her phone disconnected on Tuesday.

Forensic officers were seen at the council-licensed refuge at the weekend combing for clues.

'SHE WAS LOVELY'

Neighbour Wahidur Rahman, 50, said: "Phoenix was a really nice young girl. She was lovely.

"We didn't know her well - all the women in the refuge kept themselves to themselves. They were all vulnerable in a way.

"It's so shocking that she's been killed and then cut up.

"I thought something might have happened to her because I hadn't seen her in a while.

"The forensics have been in her bedroom for a few days now and today they blacked out the windows.

"They've been taking away bags of belongings.

"I'm just in shock, really. She was a pretty young girl."

REMAINS 'BURNT'

Tradesman Sorathiya moved to Wolverhampton three years ago from Slough, Berkshire, with his wife. The Indian couple are said to have two teenage children.

Cops swooped on a man and woman who were said to be driving suspiciously near Coleford, Gloucestershire.

They discovered the body parts stuffed in two suitcases. It is understood there had been attempts to burn the remains.

Officers later raided a property in Birmingham and discovered the grisly murder scene which is said to have resembled an abattoir, The Sun understands.

The judge granted conditional bail to Sorathiya, but no application for bail was made on behalf of Gordon today.

Gordon is accused of murder between April 14 and May 12, while Sorathiya is accused of assisting her between April 25 and May 12.

Detective Chief Inspector Scott Griffiths from our homicide team said: “Firstly, I’d like to offer my sincere condolences to Phoenix’s family.

“We’ve worked closely with colleagues at Gloucestershire over the past week and our investigation continues at pace.

“We’d urge anyone with any information about the tragic loss of Phoenix’s life to get in touch with us."

Mahesh Sorathiya, 38, from Wolverhampton, appeared in court charged with assisting an offenderCredit: Midlands Media Agency

Phoenix was described as a sweet natured and clever girl by her auntCredit: Enterprise News and Pictures

She was living in a women's refuge in Birmingham before she diedCredit: Enterprise News and Pictures

Police raided a property in Wolverhampton after the discoveryCredit: SnapperSK

A detective can be seen scouring the forest after the arrestCredit: � Andrew Lloyd

It is believed other body parts were found in the forestCredit: � Andrew Lloyd

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2020-05-20 03:39:29Z
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Coronavirus: Captain Tom Moore awarded knighthood for NHS fundraising - BBC News

Captain Tom Moore is to be knighted for his fundraising efforts after a special nomination from the prime minister.

The war veteran raised more than £32m for NHS charities by completing 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday in April.

Boris Johnson said the centenarian had provided the country with "a beacon of light through the fog of coronavirus."

As an honorary colonel, his official title will be Captain Sir Thomas Moore under Ministry of Defence protocol.

The knighthood, which has been approved by the Queen, will be formally announced on Wednesday.

Capt Tom, who was given the honorary title of colonel on his 100th birthday, had initially set out to raise £1,000 for NHS charities by walking laps of the 25-m (82ft) loop in his garden in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire.

But he eventually raised £32,794,701 from more than one and a half million supporters.

In a statement, Boris Johnson said Capt Tom's "fantastic fundraising broke records" and "inspired the whole country".

"On behalf of everyone who has been moved by his incredible story, I want to say a huge thank you. He's a true national treasure," he said.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer congratulated Capt Tom and said he had "brought inspiration to millions and helped all of us to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of our NHS".

"In his actions, Tom embodied the national solidarity which has grown throughout this crisis, and showed us that everyone can play their part in helping build a better future."

Capt Tom, who was born in Keighley, West Yorkshire, captured the hearts of the nation and his birthday celebrations were extensive.

The occasion was marked with an RAF flypast as well as birthday greetings from the Queen and prime minister.

He was also made an honorary colonel by the 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, in which he had served during World War Two, and received an estimated 140,000 cards.

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk

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Doctors’ union drops opposition to schools reopening on June 1 and says coronavirus risk to kids is ‘ - The Sun

A DOCTORS' union has said it no longer opposes the reopening of schools on June 1.

The British Medical Association said evidence shows the risk to kids is "extremely small," but schools should only reopen if it is “safe to do so".

⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates

Pupils listen to their teacher in Nice, France, as countries across Europe reopen schoolsCredit: Reuters

Schoolchildren wearing protective face masks line up before entering Claude Debussy college in FranceCredit: AFP or licensors

Schoolchildren wear protective mouth masks and face shields at a school in Angers, western FranceCredit: AFP or licensors

Last week, doctors said it was too risky for kids to return to schools, despite the country's biggest primary school chains backing the Government's plans.

In an apparent softening of its stance, the British Medical Association (BMA) has admitted there was “growing evidence that the risk to individual children from Covid-19 is extremely small."

However, it warned there was still no consensus around how easily kids could spread the disease to vulnerable adults.

Writing for The Telegraph, Dr Peter English, the chairman of the BMA’s Public Health Medicine Committee, said: “The BMA wants schools to reopen as soon as it is safe to do so and the evidence allows – this could be before June 1 or after.

"A zero-risk approach is not possible. This is about ‘safe’ being an acceptable level of risk.”

UNION WARS

Dame Angela McLean, the deputy chief scientific adviser, said an effective track and trace system was needed to isolate those infected by the coronavirus before changes were made to lockdown rules.

She told The Times that this should be based on "observed levels of infection . . . and not on a fixed date".

And scientist John Edmunds, another member of SAGE, told Sky News that a track and trace system must be "embedded and working well" before schools re-opened.

Teaching unions are opposed to the Government's plan to re-open schools on June 1, claiming teachers, pupils and their families will be at risk of catching the deadly virus.

They were backed last week by the British Medical Association, who said unions were "absolutely right" to urge caution and prioritise testing before reopening schools on June 1.

BMA council's chair, Chaand Nagpaul, the BMA council's chair, said at the time: "We cannot risk a second spike or take actions which would increase the spread of this virus, particularly as we see sustained rates of infection across the UK."

Our current assessment is that schools aren’t safe to open, as our five tests have not been met.
Kevin Courtney, NEU

Kevin Courtney, the joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), refused to back down on Tuesday, saying: “Our current assessment is that schools aren’t safe to open, as our five tests have not been met.

"But if our five tests are met, then on a national level, it would be permissible to go ahead with reopening schools.”

According to the Daily Mail, its leaders were caught making a series of slurs in a Zoom meeting last night.

The video footage exposed the joint general secretary Mary Bousted accusing children of being mucky by spreading germs and wiping their snot on people's clothes.

The hard-line leaders also discussed how to threaten headteachers should they try to get their staff back to work.

The NEU’s five tests include lowering the number of virus cases, plans for social distancing, more testing, strategies for entire schools and protection for the vulnerable.

JUNE DELAY

The reopening of primary schools could be delayed beyond June 1 as local authorities yesterday advised their schools to stay closed, including the first Tory-run council.

The Government made clear today that every school’s circumstances were different and that if a head teacher felt unable to open next month, they should “discuss options” with their local authority or trust.

It comes as France makes a mockery of British demands, with teachers returning to French schools wearing masks and taking simple extra precautions.

They are among 22 European to countries which have re-opened classrooms - and evidence suggests that doing so has not been harmful to kids or teachers.

A schoolboy has his temperature checked at a school in FranceCredit: AFP or licensors

A teacher wears a protective masks as she gives her lessonCredit: Getty Images - Getty

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Tony Blair BACKS Government plans to reopen schools on June 1

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2020-05-20 03:23:32Z
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