Coronavirus UK LIVE: Britain ‘could have worse death toll than Italy and Spain’ as row continues over PPE shortage for NHS staff

Just in: Heathcare worker dies after contracting Covid-19

Healthcare worker Donna Campbell, who worked at the Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff, has died after testing positive for coronavirus, health officials said.

Ms Campbell, who was a healthcare support worker, passed away at the University Hospital Wales in Cardiff.

Steve Ham, chief executive of Velindre University NHS Trust, said: “We are devastated to have lost a member of the Velindre family.”

‘Darkest days’ ahead for Ireland

Ireland’s premier Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that the country will face some of its “darkest days” in the weeks ahead.

In a video message on Twitter, Mr Varadkar said that the country is preparing to reach its Covid-19 peak later this month.

“The number of hospitalisations and sadly the number of deaths continues to rise,” he said.

“So we cannot lost focus. We cannot lessen our efforts. In fact, we need to redouble them for the next few weeks.

“It’s more important than ever that we persevere. It’s possible that we haven’t seen the peak yet.”

‘Don’t try sneaking in’

A warning from Cumbria Police this morning after a group of men were caught trying to use the cover of darkness to enter the Lake District, which is closed amid the lockdown.

Some incredibly sad news this morning from London. RIP Sara

Read this story here.

Labour concerns over PM stand-in 

Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy has expressed concerns about Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab deputising for Boris Johnson while he recovers from Covid-19. She said:

“I can see why the Government has taken that approach, I don’t know how ill the Prime Minister was but it sounds like he was very hard hit by this virus and there has to be somebody who can make decisions.

“My big concern about that is twofold, firstly that Parliament isn’t currently sitting so there is very little ability to scrutinise the Government.”

She added: “There are real outstanding issues that need to be addressed and Parliament needs to sit as soon as possible in order to deal with that.”

The latest from the Government’s media rounds this morning…

Read this story HERE. 

Spain death rate accelerates again

Spain’s coronavirus death toll has risen again to end a three-day slowdown. 

Fatalities rose by 619 on Sunday, after reaching a nearly three-week low of 510 on Saturday, meaning the total is now 16,972. Cases now stand at 166,090.

The Spanish government loosened lockdown measures this weekend to allow some industries, such as construction and manufacturing, to get back to work on Monday.

Archbishop of Canterbury: A ‘very strange’ Easter Sunday

Speaking to the BBC, Archbishop Justin Welby said delivering the service from home had been  “very strange” and “caused us to do a lot of tidying up”.

In his central message of a return to a “common life”, he said: 

“We’ve gone through so much and we’re seeing such common spirit and an attitude to the common good coming through by the vast majority of people – we mustn’t lose that.

“We need to look at what the implications for that are in the way we live together as a nation and around the world.”

He was also asked if the Church of England had gone too far with restrictions on services after some clergy urged him to grant them a private prayer in their churches.

“I’m unhappy with it – I would love to be at Canterbury Cathedral… it would be much better,” he said. “But the reality is, we are here to set an example. It’s not about us.”

Second wave in UK ‘probably inevitable’

Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust and SAGE member, said it was “probably inevitable” that there would be future waves of coronavirus across Britain without a vaccine in place.

“It is my view that treatment and vaccines are our only true exit strategy from this,” he told the BBC.

“We are determined that we don’t go through this ever again and I think the chances of second and third waves of this epidemic are probably inevitable.

“And therefore having the right treatments to save lives and also having a vaccine in the future is going to be absolutely critical to prevent those second and third waves.”

The medical expert said there had also been “almost 100 reports” of cases in South Korea where people had seemingly re-contracted coronavirus.

On the prospect of a vaccine, he added: “The vaccine I think will be available during the autumn of this year but that will not be at the scale required to vaccinate maybe billions of people around the world.”

Evidence that BAME people more at risk, Sir Farrar says

Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, said there was evidence that black and other ethnic communities were more at risk from Covid-19.

He told the BBC: “There is some evidence growing both in the United States and here in Europe that people from BAME backgrounds are more at risk.

“What is critical to work out is whether that is something specific to that background or is it related to other risk factors we know about – age, other illness people have: diabetes, people who are obese have been more affected, people with high blood pressure, people with heart disease, lung disease.”

Last night Labour called for an inquiry into the “deeply disturbing” trend of BAME people forming a “disproportionate” number of coronavirus deaths.

‘Covid-19 victims deserve dignity in death’

Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, told the BBC’s Andrew Marr in response to reports that some families have been unable to say goodbye to relatives in the crisis, “human beings must be said goodbye to with dignity”.

It comes as City of York council faces continued criticism for banning all mourners from its crematorium.

The local authority said it was following others around the country, but changed its policy on Saturday night to allow grieving relatives outside the crematorium but “in all cases no mourners can be present inside the crematorium”.

York Central MP Rachael Maskell tweeted: “York’s re-issued crematorium policy does not go far enough. I can’t understand why they are making this so hard for distraught families. It is going to have to change ag

ain.”

Labour would support lockdown extension

Lisa Nandy, the shadow foreign secretary, said Labour will support a lockdown extension if necessary, but called for more support to get people through it.

Asked this morning on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show if Labour would support a five month extension, she said: “If the lockdown has to continue, then of course we’ll support it.”

She joined Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s calls earlier today for the Government to set out its lockdown exit strategy.

“You need to be open and transparent with the public so they understand why they’re being asked to do the things they are, and so they can see some light at the end of the tunnel,” Nandy said.

Government should apologise, says Starmer

Sir Keir said it would be “smart” of the Government to acknowledge their PPE ambitions have not been matched, adding: “And probably just to apologise for that and get on with it.”

Home Secretary dodged a direct apology to NHS workers on Friday.

Told there could be austerity in future to pay off spending connected to the coronavirus crisis, Sir Keir warned such a policy had caused “great harm” since 2010. He added:

“What we can’t have is another decade of austerity on top of this decade of austerity – just look what it’s done to the health service, public services, social care, all of these areas that are now so being relied on have been cut for 10 years.”

On what Labour’s approach would be, Sir Keir went on:

“We may well have to raise taxes, of course, but you’re asking me a question that nobody can realistically answer because we don’t yet know what the damage to the economy is going to be.”

Hancock thanks people for being good eggs

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has thanked those opting to wish their family happy Easter by phone call or video conference and abiding by social distancing guidance today. He said in a video posted on Twitter.

“In doing so you’re protecting the NHS and you’re helping this country to get through this crisis.

“And of course I want to thank everyone else who’s also at work today. There’s so many people on the NHS front line, in other critical services, who are working so hard for the country.”

Keir Starmer: Recall Parliament ASAP

Sir Keir said the Government must outline its exit strategy for the next 12 months and insisted Parliament must be recalled “as soon as possible”.

Sir Keir said there is a “mismatch” in what Health Secretary Matt Hancock and frontline NHS staff are saying about the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE). He said:

“This is a difficult exercise, I understand the Government is trying to rise to the challenge here but there’s a mismatch and that’s the sort of thing that Parliament needs to pursue through individual MPs putting the points to ministers.”

Have hope this Easter, says Sadiq Khan

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has encouraged Christians to “have hope” over the Easter weekend despite not being able to celebrate with loved ones due to the UK lockdown.

“In these tough times, I believe we can draw strength from the Easter story of Jesus’s resurrection and from the selfless examples that he set, he said in a video posted to Twitter.

“Easter is not a time to despair but a time to have hope and I’ve been inspired by how our Christian community has responded to this crisis, donating to foodbanks, supporting the most vulnerable and checking up on older Londoners.”