Covid-19 Daily Bulletin

A series of daily updates for CHO members regarding relevant updates pertaining to Coronavirus from home and abroad.

Key Announcements   

• Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the Downing Street press conference yesterday that there have been 2,682,716 tests overall, with 100,678 on Sunday. 246,406 have tested positive, a daily increase of 2684. 34,796 have died, a daily increase of 160.
• Health Secretary Matt Hancock  announced yesterday that anyone over the age of five in the  UK is  now eligible for covid-19 test if they show symptoms.
• 21,000 people have been hired as contact tracers. The Government have stated that the tracing element of the service in England was due to be launched shortly.
• Chief medical officers from all 4 countries in the United Kingdom added the  loss of taste or smell to the list of covid-19 symptoms.
• A survey conducted by the  House Magazine has found that  nearly  three-quarters of MPs believe taxes will increase to fund public services in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
• The  Guardian has reported that  first results from human trials of a vaccine against Covid-19 have given a glimmer of hope after a US firm’s study produced positive results in a group of eight volunteers.
• Newly published statistics from the  Office for National Statistics have found that  UK  unemployment rose by 50,000 to hit 1.35 million in the three months to March 2020 .
• Premier League footballers return to training in small groups today, this follows yesterdays ‘project restart’ meeting which took place with all twenty premier league clubs.
• The  Institute for Fiscal Studies has published a report on job vacancies during the Covid-19 pandemic . The report found that vacancies fell across the wage distribution. The fall was sharpest in low-paid occupations directly affected by social distancing measures, but new vacancies for higher-paid jobs in legal and managerial professions also saw falls of over 6 0 per cent relative to 2019.
• The  Immigration Bill went  through its second reading in the House of Commons last night.  The House of Commons approved the general principles of the law by 351 votes to 252 on Monday. Home Secretary Priti Patel said the government’s plans will lead to a “high skill” economy.

Regional /Devolved  

• Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has  announced that  she planned to publish a “route map”  for a phased relaxation  of the lockdown in Scotland later this week.  Sturgeon said the “first phase” of her plan would begin at the next formal review of the measures on 28 May, provided the infection rate continues to drop.
• The Manchester Evening News have  reported that  n early half of care homes in Greater Manchester have reported outbreaks of coronavirus.   There were 254 suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in care homes in Greater Manchester between March 9 and May 10.
• The Northern Ireland Executive has  agreed to ease some lockdown restrictions. Groups of up to six people who do not share a household in Northern Ireland will be allowed to meet outdoors, the executive has said.
• Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford  told a press conference yesterday that the peak of the virus in different parts of Wales have occurred at different times. He said that  ” t he peak in south east Wales, we believe, has passed. The peak in north Wales – we might just be reaching it now. “

International    

• US President  Donald Trump has threatened to permanently cut off funding to the World Health Organisation and pull out of the international body altogether. He tweeted a letter which criticised WHO, including its initial response to the covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan.
• China’s president,  Xi Jinping , has said his country would support a “comprehensive review” of the Covid-19 pandemic after the outbreak has been brought under control.
• A new study from the  University of Birmingham has found that forced migrant survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) face increasingly serious problems as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and associated restrictions .
• Australia’s foreign minister insists a motion to the World Health Organisation that has won support from more than 120 countries will pave the way for an impartial, independent and comprehensive investigation into the handling of the Covid-19 outbreak.
• US President  Donald Trump has told a press conference that  he takes  anti-malaria hydroxychloroquine to prevent coronavirus infection.
• Italy has  reported less than 100 coronavirus deaths in a day for the first time in 10 weeks.

Stakeholders  

• Shadow Home Secretary  Nick Thomas-Symonds  has  accused the Government of posing a  “threat to our health and social care sector”. Thomas-Symonds warned that the frontline of the fight against the disease could be hit under plans to curb “low-skilled” labour.
• Care England has today expressed concern that money allocated to the front line to combat the COVID-19 crisis has not arrived with the providers and is indeed not enough anyway.   Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, says “Financial aid from Government is not only welcome, but in fact essential; however, allocating it via Local Authorities hasn’t been successful.  It is essential that the latest £600m for infection control must not also face the same fate.  The quantum is not enough for the sector and we must search urgently for ways to get funding direct to providers.”
• Prospect Union ,  who represent staff working in the Houses of Parliament, will be resisting government plans to cancel the virtual parliament and bring MPs back to Westminster as early as next month over fears about safety and the practicality of social distancing.   Prospect says it will work with government on restoring any essential functions but that the key elements of the system must be retained for now.
• Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Munira Wilson has said that “the move towards testing everyone over the age of five with symptoms is welcome. However, Ministers must explain why the level of testing is still so low compared to some countries, what is being done to increase capacity, particularly in care homes, and to speed up processing of results. “

Unconfirmed reports   

• Many  media outlets are reporting that  a proposal of “air bridges” could be set up between the UK and other countries so that people can go on holiday this summer, when the coronavirus outbreak is under control. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is said to be considering the proposal.