news--2020-03-30--Coronavirus: FaceTime, pilates and lockdown humour - Jeremy Thompson's diary

Jeremy Thompson is a former Sky News presenter in his seventies .
He is documenting how the coronavirus lockdown is impacting his everyday life in a personal diary .
To catch up , read about what happened during week one .
Some friends around my age report back on their first trip out to `` oldies ' hour '' at the supermarket .
Quite civilised apparently , with staff politely monitoring shoppers ' ages and carrying bags to their cars .
Even so , a few `` younger '' shoppers still try to jump the seniors ' queue or break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good old Brits , all pulling together !
When will we ever learn ?
I read about one GP weeping at the foolishness of folk still gathering in contagion clusters , recklessly disregarding the medical facts .
It 's like some people are determined to live by New Hampshire 's state motto : Live Free or Die .
For a sports nut like me , no live action on TV is hard to deal with , but my local rugby club Harlequins is doing its best to lift spirits and stay in touch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rings me out of the blue as part of an effort to reach out to self-isolating fans .
A nice lad and a nice touch .
I feel really bad when I hear later that the club has asked all Quins staff to take a 25 % wage cut .
It does n't bear thinking about the number of people suddenly facing pay cuts or job cuts .
No wonder the economy is taking such a battering .
I read that after the Great Depression in the late 1920s it took the markets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it had n't .
I dread to look at my own investments .
My pension crop must have shrivelled from ripe grape to dried-up raisin .
Our first milestone in `` captivity '' .
Week one of self-isolation since we returned from Spain - after doing a week 's porridge in Andalucia .
We 're about to celebrate when we remember this could go on for months .
Pace yourselves .
A few days ago we decided on no more walks in the park for the time being .
Genuine lockdown .
Otherwise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wife and I have n't gone mad - yet , we have n't argued , we 've eaten well and exercised way more than normal .
Two or three pilates video sessions a day with Aussie trainers like Caity , Meagan and Kelly .
For some reason their voices seem kinder and more encouraging .
My wife 's even tempting me into some plyometrics and the occasional plie .
Ballet barre classes , really ?
I 'll be in tights and a tutu next !
Watching Boris Johnson 's latest briefing , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now been banished from No 10 , to save him from hacking coughs and hacking hacks .
Beside the PM are the two men I 've come to think of as his Twin Pillars of Wisdom - Professor Chris Whitty , the chief medical officer , and the government 's chief scientific adviser , Sir Patrick Vallance .
They deliver information and advice in such reasonable , reassuring tones I am reminded of deadpan Ian McDonald , the MOD spokesman during the Falklands War , who read out his daily bulletin of doom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stoical calm we Brits do so well .
Like millions of others , we stand out on our terrace at 8pm and join neighbours in applauding everyone in the NHS , all the carers out there and our emergency workers .
It 's a wonderfully uplifting sound as people clap , whistle and holler their support .
It feels like the whole country 's out there .
It 's really life affirming , like together we can beat this thing , this plague upon humanity .
Go Britain !
Go World !
Hopefully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a regular event .
Looking at photos of Prince Charles joining in the clapping for carers , he 's still wearing a tweed jacket and checked shirt , even in quarantine .
Poor chap .
He 's probably one of the few blokes not hanging out through the crisis in a sweatshirt , trackie bottoms and trainers .
Talk about dress-down Friday .
Now it 's every day .
We hear Boris Johnson has just put himself into self-isolation after testing positive - just like not so bonnie Prince Charles .
He promises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed doors .
A fine example to us all .
Had a video chat with son Adam and his wife Fiona , who are working in Vietnam .
We 'd planned to fly out to see them in April .
Not anymore .
They 're in good spirits , self-isolating in their flat in Ho Chi Minh City , working from home and arranging pub quizzes with local ex-pat mates via video conferencing .
Though they 're noticing an increasingly hostile mood among some Vietnamese , who are starting to blame Westerners for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the sight of a police car and bus touring the neighbourhood rooting out anyone who might have been in contact with the virus .
A knock on the door inevitably leads to residents being driven away to quarantine camps around the city .
No ifs or buts .
It 's mandatory .
But then Vietnam is a unitary Marxist-Leninist one-party socialist republic .
No wonder authoritarian regimes find it so much easier to enforce lockdowns than defiantly democratic Britain .
We FaceTime my other son , James , and his wife , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home in West Sussex .
Both are in the event management business and say things are still surprisingly busy .
The large-scale gatherings they usually organise around the world are shifting to web conferencing .
Even so , they may soon be cut to a four-day week .
Their girls , my granddaughters , are now home until September , unless things improve .
Sophia 's GCSEs are cancelled , her grades now dependent on past work and teacher predictions .
Or the 'lap of the gods ' as some have called it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put on hold until the autumn .
They 're trying to figure out how to fill the time and not lose educative headway .
Newly and exotically dyed hair suggests they do n't think they 'll be seen in public for quite a while .
Sharing the Thompson family lockdown is their cute dog Pablo , who now has his own Instagram handle - @ keepingupwithpablo .
Meet the new British nuclear family !
Social media is sharpening and blurring the narrative in equal measures .
The pandemic is proving to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and , of course , it 's all going viral .
But there is plenty of good and witty stuff out there on anti-social media .
One Twitter user , @ wryly , suggests that if Boris Johnson ca n't get his message over through polite requests , Trevor McDonald and Jeremy Thompson should be wheeled out to give it sufficient gravitas to make the nation sit up and take it seriously .
Very kind Twitterati - I 'm surprised you can remember that far back in TV news history .
Maybe they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Dead , that iconic RomZomCom movie .
A zombie apocalypse , just what you need to lift the mood in a pandemic .
: : Listen to the All Out Politics podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker The exchange of videos and jokes among friends is certainly giving us a few much-needed laughs , like this one from my rugby-watching buddy Big Al : `` I gave Carol a dart and told her to throw it at the map in the kitchen and I would take her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We 're having two weeks behind the fridge . ''
We reminisce about the good old days when we 'd watch live rugby together from the stands at The Stoop .
It triggers another man gag : `` A week without sport on TV .
I found a lady sitting on my couch .
Apparently she 's my wife .
She seems nice . ''
But seriously , no live sport is leaving a big void .
Usually I 'm at Harlequins or Twickenham , or watching cricket at The Oval in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Headingley for a Test .
Today this sporting saddo is trying to recreate Saturday afternoon on the settee .
I 've recorded a host of classic games , some British and Irish Lions games , a few Ashes Test matches , England 's brilliant triumph at the Cricket World Cup and some Ryder Cup highlights .
Hopefully a few cold beers will make up for the lack of live element .
But I doubt it .
Talking of telly , Saturday evening is a bit of a watcher 's wasteland .
Even Ant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from their separate front parlours .
There 's no Strictly for my wife to enjoy .
And surely I ca n't sit through another hammy old Inspector Montalbano .
I wake to the sound of near silence .
Hardly a plane or car to be heard these days .
The air is definitely fresher and cleaner .
Maybe it 'll make us think more about global pollution and climate change when it 's all over .
I 've still got that annoying dry , croaky cough , now joined by a snotty nose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It does n't feel like The 'Flu .
It 's more like a common cold .
But how the hell did I catch whatever it is in my hermitage ?
Video chats are now a way of life .
My son James 's usual Friday get together with work colleagues down at the pub now takes place via Zoom .
My granddaughter Sophia is keeping up with friends on Houseparty .
And her sister Bella is getting a few university tutorials live online - but not enough .
While Lynn and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our golf mates at Los Arqueros in Spain keep in touch through numerous WhatsApp groups crammed with updates , advice and a lot of lockdown humour .
One of them says she was stopped by police today while walking her dogs .
Others report that the army is out in larger numbers than before around our local towns of Benahavis and San Pedro .
The crackdown in Spain is way more severe than here in the UK .
Talking of dogs , our pals in Hong Kong say there was a scare that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little old lady 's Pomeranian reportedly tested positive .
It sparked a brief panic with owners advised not to kiss their dogs and to start making them face masks .
A test on the dog eventually proved negative .
Panic over .
It seems even those on four legs are n't immune to fake news .
Saul and Wendy , our friends in Johannesburg , come up with the tempting idea of joining them in isolating at our favourite safari lodge in the remote African bush .
A great idea if it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the UK - 12 hours in a flying germ tube .
If we 're really confined to barracks until June at the earliest , as some experts say , we might all have turned into wildlife by then .

Jeremy Thompson is a former Sky News presenter in his seventies.
He is documenting how the coronavirus lockdown is impacting his everyday life in a personal diary.
To catch up, read about what happened during week one.
Wednesday 25 March
Some friends around my age report back on their first trip out to "oldies' hour" at the supermarket.
Quite civilised apparently, with staff politely monitoring shoppers' ages and carrying bags to their cars.
Even so, a few "younger" shoppers still try to jump the seniors' queue or break the two-metre cordon sanitaire. Ah, good old Brits, all pulling together! When will we ever learn?
I read about one GP weeping at the foolishness of folk still gathering in contagion clusters, recklessly disregarding the medical facts. It's like some people are determined to live by New Hampshire's state motto: Live Free or Die.
For a sports nut like me, no live action on TV is hard to deal with, but my local rugby club Harlequins is doing its best to lift spirits and stay in touch. Their bright young fly-half Marcus Smith rings me out of the blue as part of an effort to reach out to self-isolating fans. A nice lad and a nice touch.
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I feel really bad when I hear later that the club has asked all Quins staff to take a 25% wage cut. It doesn't bear thinking about the number of people suddenly facing pay cuts or job cuts.
No wonder the economy is taking such a battering.
I read that after the Great Depression in the late 1920s it took the markets 25 years to recover. I wish it hadn't. I dread to look at my own investments. My pension crop must have shrivelled from ripe grape to dried-up raisin.
Thursday 26 March
Our first milestone in "captivity".
Week one of self-isolation since we returned from Spain - after doing a week's porridge in Andalucia.
We're about to celebrate when we remember this could go on for months. Pace yourselves.
A few days ago we decided on no more walks in the park for the time being. Genuine lockdown. Otherwise, so far so good.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:25 PM's video message from his virus isolation
My wife and I haven't gone mad - yet, we haven't argued, we've eaten well and exercised way more than normal.
Two or three pilates video sessions a day with Aussie trainers like Caity, Meagan and Kelly.
For some reason their voices seem kinder and more encouraging. My wife's even tempting me into some plyometrics and the occasional plie. Ballet barre classes, really? I'll be in tights and a tutu next!
Watching Boris Johnson's latest briefing, it's interesting to see how journalists have now been banished from No 10, to save him from hacking coughs and hacking hacks.
Beside the PM are the two men I've come to think of as his Twin Pillars of Wisdom - Professor Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, and the government's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance.
They deliver information and advice in such reasonable, reassuring tones I am reminded of deadpan Ian McDonald, the MOD spokesman during the Falklands War, who read out his daily bulletin of doom, gloom and occasional victories with a stoical calm we Brits do so well.
Image: Jeremy says he joined people around the country in the 'clap for carers' event
Like millions of others, we stand out on our terrace at 8pm and join neighbours in applauding everyone in the NHS, all the carers out there and our emergency workers. It's a wonderfully uplifting sound as people clap, whistle and holler their support.
It feels like the whole country's out there. It's really life affirming, like together we can beat this thing, this plague upon humanity.
Go Britain! Go World! Hopefully the "Great Ovation" will become a regular event.
Friday 27 March
Looking at photos of Prince Charles joining in the clapping for carers, he's still wearing a tweed jacket and checked shirt, even in quarantine. Poor chap.
He's probably one of the few blokes not hanging out through the crisis in a sweatshirt, trackie bottoms and trainers. Talk about dress-down Friday. Now it's every day.
We hear Boris Johnson has just put himself into self-isolation after testing positive - just like not so bonnie Prince Charles. He promises to keep leading the country from behind closed doors. A fine example to us all.
Had a video chat with son Adam and his wife Fiona, who are working in Vietnam.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:11 Man runs marathon in back garden
We'd planned to fly out to see them in April. Not anymore. They're in good spirits, self-isolating in their flat in Ho Chi Minh City, working from home and arranging pub quizzes with local ex-pat mates via video conferencing.
Though they're noticing an increasingly hostile mood among some Vietnamese, who are starting to blame Westerners for spreading the virus. Even more worrying is the sight of a police car and bus touring the neighbourhood rooting out anyone who might have been in contact with the virus.
A knock on the door inevitably leads to residents being driven away to quarantine camps around the city. No ifs or buts. It's mandatory. But then Vietnam is a unitary Marxist-Leninist one-party socialist republic. No wonder authoritarian regimes find it so much easier to enforce lockdowns than defiantly democratic Britain.
We FaceTime my other son, James, and his wife, Lisa. They're also working from home in West Sussex.
Both are in the event management business and say things are still surprisingly busy. The large-scale gatherings they usually organise around the world are shifting to web conferencing. Even so, they may soon be cut to a four-day week.
Their girls, my granddaughters, are now home until September, unless things improve. Sophia's GCSEs are cancelled, her grades now dependent on past work and teacher predictions. Or the 'lap of the gods' as some have called it. Bella's university course has been put on hold until the autumn.
They're trying to figure out how to fill the time and not lose educative headway. Newly and exotically dyed hair suggests they don't think they'll be seen in public for quite a while.
Sharing the Thompson family lockdown is their cute dog Pablo, who now has his own Instagram handle -@keepingupwithpablo. Meet the new British nuclear family!
Saturday 28 March
Social media is sharpening and blurring the narrative in equal measures.
The pandemic is proving to be a petri dish for incubating fake news, and, of course, it's all going viral. But there is plenty of good and witty stuff out there on anti-social media.
One Twitter user, @wryly, suggests that if Boris Johnson can't get his message over through polite requests, Trevor McDonald and Jeremy Thompson should be wheeled out to give it sufficient gravitas to make the nation sit up and take it seriously. Very kind Twitterati - I'm surprised you can remember that far back in TV news history.
Maybe they've been watching re-runs of Shaun of the Dead, that iconic RomZomCom movie. A zombie apocalypse, just what you need to lift the mood in a pandemic.
Podcast Podcast , which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Podcast cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the This content is provided by, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enablecookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Podcast cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to allow Podcast cookies for this session only. Enable Cookies Allow Cookies Once
:: Listen to the All Out Politics podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
The exchange of videos and jokes among friends is certainly giving us a few much-needed laughs, like this one from my rugby-watching buddy Big Al: "I gave Carol a dart and told her to throw it at the map in the kitchen and I would take her wherever it landed when this was over. We're having two weeks behind the fridge."
We reminisce about the good old days when we'd watch live rugby together from the stands at The Stoop. It triggers another man gag: "A week without sport on TV. I found a lady sitting on my couch. Apparently she's my wife. She seems nice." But seriously, no live sport is leaving a big void.
Usually I'm at Harlequins or Twickenham, or watching cricket at The Oval in the summer, or driving up to Headingley for a Test. Today this sporting saddo is trying to recreate Saturday afternoon on the settee.
I've recorded a host of classic games, some British and Irish Lions games, a few Ashes Test matches, England's brilliant triumph at the Cricket World Cup and some Ryder Cup highlights. Hopefully a few cold beers will make up for the lack of live element. But I doubt it.
Talking of telly, Saturday evening is a bit of a watcher's wasteland. Even Ant & Dec are presenting an audience-free show from their separate front parlours. There's no Strictly for my wife to enjoy. And surely I can't sit through another hammy old Inspector Montalbano.
Sunday 29 March
I wake to the sound of near silence. Hardly a plane or car to be heard these days. The air is definitely fresher and cleaner. Maybe it'll make us think more about global pollution and climate change when it's all over.
I've still got that annoying dry, croaky cough, now joined by a snotty nose. I haven't got a temperature. It doesn't feel like The 'Flu. It's more like a common cold. But how the hell did I catch whatever it is in my hermitage?
Video chats are now a way of life. My son James's usual Friday get together with work colleagues down at the pub now takes place via Zoom. My granddaughter Sophia is keeping up with friends on Houseparty. And her sister Bella is getting a few university tutorials live online - but not enough. While Lynn and I are doing exercise sessions on YouTube.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:39 Lockdown could tighten in hard hit Spain
Distance socialising while social distancing.
Our golf mates at Los Arqueros in Spain keep in touch through numerous WhatsApp groups crammed with updates, advice and a lot of lockdown humour.
One of them says she was stopped by police today while walking her dogs. Others report that the army is out in larger numbers than before around our local towns of Benahavis and San Pedro. The crackdown in Spain is way more severe than here in the UK.
Talking of dogs, our pals in Hong Kong say there was a scare that pets could transmit the virus after one little old lady's Pomeranian reportedly tested positive. It sparked a brief panic with owners advised not to kiss their dogs and to start making them face masks.
A test on the dog eventually proved negative. Panic over. It seems even those on four legs aren't immune to fake news.
Saul and Wendy, our friends in Johannesburg, come up with the tempting idea of joining them in isolating at our favourite safari lodge in the remote African bush. A great idea if it wasn't for the risky journey getting there from the UK - 12 hours in a flying germ tube.
If we're really confined to barracks until June at the earliest, as some experts say, we might all have turned into wildlife by then.


news--2020-03-31--Coronavirus: Stocks rally as China data shows return to growth in key sector

Global stock markets are making further tentative gains on hopes the economic disruption from the coronavirus pandemic will be weaker than some estimates fear .
Investors bought in after data from China - the first country to be hit by COVID-19 - showed activity in its crucial manufacturing sector unexpectedly rebounded to growth in the month of March .
The country 's National Bureau of Statistics published purchasing managers ' figures which suggested factory activity expanded from a record low in February when much of its industry was shut down to limit the spread .
The non-manufacturing measure also showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the accuracy of the figures , as analysts had expected to see a continued contraction , they suggested the Chinese economy was proving resilient in the face of the disruption .
However , demand in key foreign markets is far from assured as more countries enter lockdown conditions , with economists forecasting a recession deeper than the one seen during the financial crisis .
European stock markets followed Asia in giving a positive reaction to the China figures - with the FTSE 100 in London rising 2 % in early trading before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afternoon .
It remains 25 % down in the year to date , leaving the index on track for its worst quarter since 1987 .
There were similar market movements in France and Germany while US futures shot up from negative territory .
Neil Wilson , chief markets analyst at Markets.com , wrote : `` Asian shares were broadly higher as Chinese factory data improved as investors were encouraged by green shoots .
`` The official manufacturing PMI rose to 52 , ahead of the 45 forecast and well up from the coronavirus-impacted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record low .
`` Two things about this number - it shows a bounce , which is encouraging , but it does n't show a massive bounce into the 60s , and can we really trust the number ?
`` Economic recovery will be uneven , and stock markets are unlikely to bounce back to where they were , yet the panic seems to be over . ''
Tuesday saw a steady stream of listed companies continue to report on their fortunes .
The most significant came from Royal Dutch Shell , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slump in oil prices - that has seen Brent crude trade at 18-year lows - by slowing refining output to meet weaker demand .
The company said it was expecting to write down up to $ 800m in the first quarter as a result of the woes .
However , its shares rose 5 % on hopes that promised talks between the US and Russia would result in a deal to end Saudi Arabia 's threatened price war with Moscow .

Global stock markets are making further tentative gains on hopes the economic disruption from the coronavirus pandemic will be weaker than some estimates fear.
Investors bought in after data from China - the first country to be hit by COVID-19 - showed activity in its crucial manufacturing sector unexpectedly rebounded to growth in the month of March.
The country's National Bureau of Statistics published purchasing managers' figures which suggested factory activity expanded from a record low in February when much of its industry was shut down to limit the spread.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:27 Support loophole leaves workers without pay
The non-manufacturing measure also showed a return to growth.
Despite concern over the accuracy of the figures, as analysts had expected to see a continued contraction, they suggested the Chinese economy was proving resilient in the face of the disruption.
However, demand in key foreign markets is far from assured as more countries enter lockdown conditions, with economists forecasting a recession deeper than the one seen during the financial crisis.
European stock markets followed Asia in giving a positive reaction to the China figures - with the FTSE 100 in London rising 2% in early trading before gains came off the boil by early afternoon.
It remains 25% down in the year to date, leaving the index on track for its worst quarter since 1987.
There were similar market movements in France and Germany while US futures shot up from negative territory.
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Neil Wilson, chief markets analyst at Markets.com, wrote: "Asian shares were broadly higher as Chinese factory data improved as investors were encouraged by green shoots.
"The official manufacturing PMI rose to 52, ahead of the 45 forecast and well up from the coronavirus-impacted 35.7 in February, which was a record low.
"Two things about this number - it shows a bounce, which is encouraging, but it doesn't show a massive bounce into the 60s, and can we really trust the number?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:53 Coronavirus threatens future of public transport
"Economic recovery will be uneven, and stock markets are unlikely to bounce back to where they were, yet the panic seems to be over."
Tuesday saw a steady stream of listed companies continue to report on their fortunes.
The most significant came from Royal Dutch Shell, which said it was reacting to the dramatic slump in oil prices - that has seen Brent crude trade at 18-year lows - by slowing refining output to meet weaker demand.
The company said it was expecting to write down up to $800m in the first quarter as a result of the woes.
However, its shares rose 5% on hopes that promised talks between the US and Russia would result in a deal to end Saudi Arabia's threatened price war with Moscow.


news--2020-03-31--Coronavirus: James Corden hosts show in garage as A-listers perform from home

Billie Eilish , John Legend , Will Ferrell and a host of other stars joined James Corden for a special episode of The Late Late Show broadcast from his garage .
The programme is one of scores around the world off air due to the coronavirus crisis , and viewers in the UK can watch it on Sky One and Now TV .
An emotional Corden spoke candidly about suffering `` spikes of anxiety and sadness '' and reassured viewers that `` it 's okay to feel anxious '' in the current climate , as he hosted the Homefest special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar `` living room '' gig hosted by Sir Elton John on Sunday , which also featured Eilish , as well as stars including Mariah Carey and Lady Gaga .
Corden also welcomed K-pop stars BTS and British star Dua Lipa to his show .
`` We just wanted to bring some joy and some music into your home at what is without a question one of the strangest and scariest moments in all our lives , '' the British TV presenter said .
The entertainment industry has been hit hard by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the final cost could reach tens of billions of dollars .
Grammy Award-winning singer Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen were first to join Corden , appearing via a livestream from their home .
Legend , who performed a song on the piano , said being in lockdown had given him a greater appreciation for teachers now that the couple are looking after their two young children , and also discussed the cooking and baking Teigen has been doing in isolation .
British pop star Lipa took part from her flat in London @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't Start Now with an appropriately socially distanced band .
Grammy-winner Eilish and her brother Finneas O'Connell performed Everything I Wanted , while Hollywood star Ferrell joined the show for an all-important segment on hand washing .
`` I have been washing my hands obsessively , '' the Anchorman actor said , before singing his favourite songs to sing while adhering to the `` 20 second rule '' for cleanliness - Careless Whisper by George Michael , Chandelier by Sia and Snoop Dogg 's Drop It Like It 's Hot .
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries hit hardest by coronavirus , world-renowned opera singer Andrea Bocelli performed his song , Con Te Partiro , and described life in quarantine .
`` We are here altogether , '' he said .
`` Sometimes it 's nice and sometimes it 's boring but we must do it . ''
BTS , one of the world 's most popular groups , appeared from their native South Korea , with singer RM saying of the pandemic : `` It may seem like we 're isolated but we 're still connected . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ link to perform card tricks .
: : Listen to the Backstage podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Closing the show , Corden said he had found dealing with the pandemic `` tougher than I ever thought I would '' .
He continued : `` I found myself having these incredible spikes of anxiety and sadness when I allowed myself to think about my family back home in England , or my friends , or the people I love .
`` You feel so out of control .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , all of it .
I found I get sort of overwhelmed with the sadness , really .
`` It 's okay to feel anxious .
The best thing we can all do is kind of breathe through that and put our minds in a positive place . ''
UK viewers can watch the show on Sky One and NOW TV from 9pm on Thursday 2 April

Billie Eilish, John Legend, Will Ferrell and a host of other stars joined James Corden for a special episode of The Late Late Show broadcast from his garage.
The programme is one of scores around the world off air due to the coronavirus crisis, and viewers in the UK can watch it on Sky One and Now TV.
An emotional Corden spoke candidly about suffering "spikes of anxiety and sadness" and reassured viewers that "it's okay to feel anxious" in the current climate, as he hosted the Homefest special on Monday night.
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It followed a similar "living room" gig hosted by Sir Elton John on Sunday, which also featured Eilish, as well as stars including Mariah Carey and Lady Gaga.
Corden also welcomed K-pop stars BTS and British star Dua Lipa to his show.
"We just wanted to bring some joy and some music into your home at what is without a question one of the strangest and scariest moments in all our lives," the British TV presenter said.
The entertainment industry has been hit hard by the global pandemic, with some experts claiming the final cost could reach tens of billions of dollars.
Grammy Award-winning singer Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen were first to join Corden, appearing via a livestream from their home.
Legend, who performed a song on the piano, said being in lockdown had given him a greater appreciation for teachers now that the couple are looking after their two young children, and also discussed the cooking and baking Teigen has been doing in isolation.
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British pop star Lipa took part from her flat in London, performing her recent hit single Don't Start Now with an appropriately socially distanced band.
Grammy-winner Eilish and her brother Finneas O'Connell performed Everything I Wanted, while Hollywood star Ferrell joined the show for an all-important segment on hand washing.
"I have been washing my hands obsessively," the Anchorman actor said, before singing his favourite songs to sing while adhering to the "20 second rule" for cleanliness - Careless Whisper by George Michael, Chandelier by Sia and Snoop Dogg's Drop It Like It's Hot.
In a tribute to Italy, one of the countries hit hardest by coronavirus, world-renowned opera singer Andrea Bocelli performed his song, Con Te Partiro, and described life in quarantine.
"We are here altogether," he said. "Sometimes it's nice and sometimes it's boring but we must do it."
BTS, one of the world's most popular groups, appeared from their native South Korea, with singer RM saying of the pandemic: "It may seem like we're isolated but we're still connected."
Illusionist David Blaine also appeared via video link to perform card tricks.
Podcast Podcast , which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Podcast cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the This content is provided by, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enablecookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Podcast cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to allow Podcast cookies for this session only. Enable Cookies Allow Cookies Once
:: Listen to the Backstage podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Closing the show, Corden said he had found dealing with the pandemic "tougher than I ever thought I would".
He continued: "I found myself having these incredible spikes of anxiety and sadness when I allowed myself to think about my family back home in England, or my friends, or the people I love.
"You feel so out of control. It feels so out of our comprehension, all of it. I found I get sort of overwhelmed with the sadness, really.
"It's okay to feel anxious. The best thing we can all do is kind of breathe through that and put our minds in a positive place."
UK viewers can watch the show on Sky One and NOW TV from 9pm on Thursday 2 April


news--2020-03-31--Coronavirus: The Italian COVID-19 hospital where no medics have been infected

In northern Italy thousands of medical staff are getting sick fighting the coronavirus pandemic and dozens have died - but far to the south , they have had time to prepare .
At Cotugno Hospital , a specialist infectious diseases facility that now only treats COVID-19 patients , armed guards patrol the corridors .
As we walked inside we passed disinfection machines that look like airport scanners , but they clean you down .
While the speed of the virus storm caught everyone by surprise in the north , and medical teams were overwhelmed , things at this hospital were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clothed in our protective layers and goggles , into one of their Intensive Care Units ( ICU ) .
This was a whole different level to anything we have seen before .
The staff treating the sickest patients are wearing super advanced masks - much nearer to a gas mask than we normally see our hospital staff wearing .
They are clad in thick waterproof suits that means the doctors and nurses are effectively sealed in .
Incredibly , so far at least , not a single member of the medical teams has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be done , you just have to have the right gear and follow the right protocols .
We sensed a sudden change .
A nurse rushed past us desperately drawing medicine in to a syringe .
A patient inside one of the treatment rooms is deteriorating fast .
As we watched on , he prepared an injection outside the treatment room .
He never goes inside but communicated through a window to colleagues with the patient .
They never come outside during crisis moments , and this is one .
When it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a compartment door .
Remember , he 's not been inside and has n't touched anyone or anything - but he immediately removes his gloves and scrubs down .
This attention to detail is an absolute constant .
This hospital is the exception in the south of the country .
It was already the most advanced , but we began to realise that keeping the medical teams safe is possible .
What they 're noticing is that everyone and anyone can get infected , not just the old .
There are many young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are finding that the middle classes are being infected the most .
I asked why ?
The answer is obvious really - they travel .
What is really striking here is that the rules of separating infected environments and the clean areas are followed by everyone .
But armed security guards are on every connecting corridor in case anyone forgets .
We 're moved back and the corridors locked down as a new patient is brought in .
This happens every time as preparation is the key to stopping the virus .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this kind of hospital , '' the head of respiratory medicine , Dr Roberto Parrella , told me as more patients were wheeled past .
`` It 's very , very important to separate the street [ corridor ] and so on , to organise how [ to ] dress and undress , how [ to ] put a doctor or nurse in the room , how [ to ] put your mask on right , it 's very important . ''
I asked him if having the right equipment is equally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for , fight for [ it ] , however now we have , '' he said .
We are shown into the sub-intensive care unit where the patients are either recovering or have n't deteriorated yet , but the same separation rules as the ICU apply .
A red and white tape marks the line that ca n't be crossed .
Clean area nurses and doctors assist infected area staff across the line .
They keep the two absolutely separate .
That separation is the key .
It 's a separation the doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and nurses in the north to observe because the tide of patients arriving was so great .
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker The medical staff constantly refer to the `` tsunami '' everywhere we go .
Two of the wards are run by Dr Giuseppe Fiorentino .
He is absolutely in control of the staff as they work gruelling hours to contain the spread of the virus .
He walked me through the wards explaining how they treat the patients .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ over their colleagues around the country is that they are used to dealing with very serious diseases like HIV/Aids and tuberculosis .
He explains the measures they are following for COVID-19 is second nature to them .
That knowledge has protected his staff .
There is a higher number of infections in the doctors in the north , he told me , because they could n't keep the separation lines working .
He is n't blaming them , it 's just a fact .
`` In this hospital not one , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been to the most badly affected hospitals in Italy , particularly the hospitals in Lombardy , and was desperate to know what it was like .
I got the sense that the pictures we showed on Sky News and distributed around the world were every doctor 's nightmare .
As the pandemic spreads , we are seeing the number of infected and dying jump every day .
Health workers are right on the frontline and they 're succumbing to the illness too .
Perhaps , though , it does n't have to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but they have the kit , they do n't just hope for the best .

In northern Italy thousands of medical staff are getting sick fighting the coronavirus pandemic and dozens have died - but far to the south, they have had time to prepare.
At Cotugno Hospital, a specialist infectious diseases facility that now only treats COVID-19 patients, armed guards patrol the corridors.
As we walked inside we passed disinfection machines that look like airport scanners, but they clean you down.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 4:38 A hospital in Naples is well equipped and prepared to fight coronavirus.
While the speed of the virus storm caught everyone by surprise in the north, and medical teams were overwhelmed, things at this hospital were different.
We were taken, fully clothed in our protective layers and goggles, into one of their Intensive Care Units (ICU).
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 5:18 19 March: The shocking centre of the COVID-19 crisis
This was a whole different level to anything we have seen before.
The staff treating the sickest patients are wearing super advanced masks - much nearer to a gas mask than we normally see our hospital staff wearing.
They are clad in thick waterproof suits that means the doctors and nurses are effectively sealed in.
Incredibly, so far at least, not a single member of the medical teams has been affected - it seems it can be done, you just have to have the right gear and follow the right protocols.
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We sensed a sudden change. A nurse rushed past us desperately drawing medicine in to a syringe. A patient inside one of the treatment rooms is deteriorating fast.
Image: High containment ambulances at the Cotugno Hospital in Naples. Pic: Salvatore Laporta/IPA/Shutterstock
As we watched on, he prepared an injection outside the treatment room.
He never goes inside but communicated through a window to colleagues with the patient. They never come outside during crisis moments, and this is one.
When it's ready, the medicine is passed through a compartment door.
Remember, he's not been inside and hasn't touched anyone or anything - but he immediately removes his gloves and scrubs down. This attention to detail is an absolute constant.
This hospital is the exception in the south of the country. It was already the most advanced, but we began to realise that keeping the medical teams safe is possible.
What they're noticing is that everyone and anyone can get infected, not just the old.
There are many young patients being treated here and interestingly they are finding that the middle classes are being infected the most.
I asked why? The answer is obvious really - they travel.
What is really striking here is that the rules of separating infected environments and the clean areas are followed by everyone.
But armed security guards are on every connecting corridor in case anyone forgets.
Image: The staff treating the sickest patients wear super advanced masks
We're moved back and the corridors locked down as a new patient is brought in. This happens every time as preparation is the key to stopping the virus.
"This is the first thing to do in this kind of hospital," the head of respiratory medicine, Dr Roberto Parrella, told me as more patients were wheeled past.
"It's very, very important to separate the street [corridor] and so on, to organise how [to] dress and undress, how [to] put a doctor or nurse in the room, how [to] put your mask on right, it's very important."
I asked him if having the right equipment is equally important.
"Yes, we fight for, fight for [it], however now we have," he said.
We are shown into the sub-intensive care unit where the patients are either recovering or haven't deteriorated yet, but the same separation rules as the ICU apply. A red and white tape marks the line that can't be crossed.
Clean area nurses and doctors assist infected area staff across the line. They keep the two absolutely separate.
That separation is the key. It's a separation the doctors here acknowledge was almost impossible for doctors and nurses in the north to observe because the tide of patients arriving was so great.
:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
The medical staff constantly refer to the "tsunami" everywhere we go.
Two of the wards are run by Dr Giuseppe Fiorentino. He is absolutely in control of the staff as they work gruelling hours to contain the spread of the virus.
He walked me through the wards explaining how they treat the patients. The advantage all the staff here have over their colleagues around the country is that they are used to dealing with very serious diseases like HIV/Aids and tuberculosis.
He explains the measures they are following for COVID-19 is second nature to them. That knowledge has protected his staff.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 5:03 20 March: Sky visits Cremona Hospital in Lombardy where staff face a fight to save every patient
There is a higher number of infections in the doctors in the north, he told me, because they couldn't keep the separation lines working. He isn't blaming them, it's just a fact.
"In this hospital not one," he said.
He knew that I had been to the most badly affected hospitals in Italy, particularly the hospitals in Lombardy, and was desperate to know what it was like.
I got the sense that the pictures we showed on Sky News and distributed around the world were every doctor's nightmare.
As the pandemic spreads, we are seeing the number of infected and dying jump every day.
Health workers are right on the frontline and they're succumbing to the illness too.
Perhaps, though, it doesn't have to be inevitable. It isn't here, but they have the kit, they don't just hope for the best.


news--2020-03-31--Coronavirus: British Airways temporarily suspends flights from Gatwick Airport

British Airways is suspending all its flights to and from Gatwick Airport amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The airline has said it will continue to carry out essential functions such as maintenance , towing and cleaning in order to be ready to start up again effectively .
British Airways added in a statement : `` Due to the considerable restrictions and challenging market environment , like many other airlines , we will temporarily suspend our flying schedule at Gatwick .
`` We are contacting affected customers to discuss their options . ''
Gatwick Airport in West Sussex is Britain 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were due to take off or land from there on Tuesday , according to aviation data provider FlightStats .
Gatwick 's runway will only be open for scheduled flights between 2pm and 10pm from Wednesday .
The airport will also close one of its two terminals .
The measures will be in place for a minimum of one month .
British Airways ' boss warned earlier in March that the airline was in a battle for survival and would have to cut jobs and park planes .
The carrier continues to operate some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Parent company IAG said flying capacity would be down 75 % in April and May .
Low-cost airline easyJet said on Monday that it had grounded its entire fleet .
Airports are responding to the decision by airlines to suspend the majority of their flights due to plummeting demand .
Countries around the world are introducing travel restrictions in a bid to slow the spread of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus .
: : Listen to the Sophy Ridge on Sunday podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its runway to all commercial and private flights last week .
Southend Airport is only open on Tuesdays , Thursdays and Sundays between 4.30pm and 9.30pm .
The British Airways move comes as the prime minister is facing pressure to get more personal protective equipment ( PPE ) to health workers .
It has been claimed some nurses have been treating coronavirus patients without any protection at all .
The prime minister will chair a meeting of his cabinet by videolink on Tuesday as he continues to self-isolate in Downing Street after being @ @ @ @

British Airways is suspending all its flights to and from Gatwick Airport amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The airline has said it will continue to carry out essential functions such as maintenance, towing and cleaning in order to be ready to start up again effectively.
British Airways added in a statement: "Due to the considerable restrictions and challenging market environment, like many other airlines, we will temporarily suspend our flying schedule at Gatwick.
"We are contacting affected customers to discuss their options."
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:57 Coronavirus: What you need to know
Gatwick Airport in West Sussex is Britain's second busiest airport.
Just 33 flights were due to take off or land from there on Tuesday, according to aviation data provider FlightStats.
Gatwick's runway will only be open for scheduled flights between 2pm and 10pm from Wednesday.
The airport will also close one of its two terminals.
The measures will be in place for a minimum of one month.
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British Airways' boss warned earlier in March that the airline was in a battle for survival and would have to cut jobs and park planes.
The carrier continues to operate some flights from its main hub at Heathrow.
Parent company IAG said flying capacity would be down 75% in April and May.
Low-cost airline easyJet said on Monday that it had grounded its entire fleet.
Airports are responding to the decision by airlines to suspend the majority of their flights due to plummeting demand.
Countries around the world are introducing travel restrictions in a bid to slow the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
:: Listen to the Sophy Ridge on Sunday podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
London City Airport closed its runway to all commercial and private flights last week.
Southend Airport is only open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays between 4.30pm and 9.30pm.
The British Airways move comes as the prime minister is facing pressure to get more personal protective equipment (PPE) to health workers.
It has been claimed some nurses have been treating coronavirus patients without any protection at all.
The prime minister will chair a meeting of his cabinet by videolink on Tuesday as he continues to self-isolate in Downing Street after being diagnosed with COVID-19.


news--2020-03-31--Coronavirus: Boris Johnson under pressure over lack of protective gear for NHS staff

Boris Johnson is facing growing pressure to get more personal protective equipment ( PPE ) to health workers after it was claimed some nurses were treating coronavirus patients `` without any protection at all '' .
The prime minister will chair a meeting of his cabinet by videolink on Tuesday as he continues to self-isolate in Downing Street after being diagnosed with COVID-19 .
It comes as the British Medical Association ( BMA ) warned many hospitals and GP practices are facing `` life-threatening shortages '' of PPE , with one NHS procurement chief tweeting `` God help us all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctors are off work because they are sick or in isolation , according to the Royal College of Physicians .
Dr Rob Harwood , from the BMA , said healthcare workers needed clarity from ministers about what risks they should not have to take if they do not have adequate protective gear .
`` Doctors are placing themselves at significant risk by treating patients on the front-line and there are concerns that sometimes this is without adequate PPE , '' he said .
`` While the government has been forthcoming in letting us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there are still doctors and other NHS staff who today , tomorrow and in the coming week , may face the daunting prospect of having to consider treating patients without adequate protection .
`` Having seen the tragic deaths of medics in Italy and now closer to home here in the UK , doctors and NHS staff have every right to be concerned , knowing that a lack of adequate protection is not only dangerous , it may be fatal . ''
Dr Richard Vautrey , from the BMA , said many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been provided does not offer them sufficient protection for both themselves and for patients '' .
`` This situation can not be allowed to continue , '' he added .
`` Practices need action not more promises . ''
The Royal College of Nursing said it was `` completely unacceptable '' that weeks into the coronavirus crisis some nurses are yet to be provided with the necessary PPE .
Its chief executive Dame Donna Kinnair said she had heard from nurses who are treating patients in COVID-19 wards `` without any protection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not continue , '' she said .
`` They are putting themselves , their families , and their patients at risk .
`` We need action , we need equipment , we need it now . ''
It has been claimed that protective gowns for frontline NHS staff were not included in the national pandemic stockpile of PPE .
The Health Care Supply Association ( HCSA ) , which represents procurement professionals within the UK 's healthcare sector , warned of `` serious supply issues '' in hospitals .
The HCSA has asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be included in the original pandemic stockpile '' .
In a tweet about the issue , which has since been deleted , the HCSA 's chief officer Alan Hoskins said he had `` just got message back no stock ca n't help '' , before adding : `` God help us all . ''
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has said the government `` can not and should not ask people to be on the frontline without the right protective equipment '' .
He has said 170 million masks and almost 10 million items @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being delivered to NHS trusts and healthcare settings .
Meanwhile , NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens has said the government is `` pulling out all the stops '' to deliver enough equipment to hospitals but cautioned it was a `` huge logistics exercise '' .
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told Sky News ' Kay Burley @ Breakfast Show that protective equipment `` should be filtering through '' .
`` Every hospital has now had gear , '' he said .
`` But there 's no denying this have been an enormous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course , to have something of this size and scale .
`` Everyone in a military-style operation - literally using the military - has been working flat out to make sure everyone has exactly what they need .
`` But it is coming through and there is a hotline for NHS staff to be able to use , or hospitals to be able to use , if they are still short of anything . ''
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were confirmed on Monday , taking the UK 's total to 1,415 .

Boris Johnson is facing growing pressure to get more personal protective equipment (PPE) to health workers after it was claimed some nurses were treating coronavirus patients "without any protection at all".
The prime minister will chair a meeting of his cabinet by videolink on Tuesday as he continues to self-isolate in Downing Street after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
It comes as the British Medical Association (BMA) warned many hospitals and GP practices are facing "life-threatening shortages" of PPE, with one NHS procurement chief tweeting "God help us all".
Image: Boris Johnson will chair a meeting of his cabinet by videolink on Tuesday
Around a quarter of NHS doctors are off work because they are sick or in isolation, according to the Royal College of Physicians.
Dr Rob Harwood, from the BMA, said healthcare workers needed clarity from ministers about what risks they should not have to take if they do not have adequate protective gear.
"Doctors are placing themselves at significant risk by treating patients on the front-line and there are concerns that sometimes this is without adequate PPE," he said.
"While the government has been forthcoming in letting us know that protection is on the way, there are still doctors and other NHS staff who today, tomorrow and in the coming week, may face the daunting prospect of having to consider treating patients without adequate protection.
"Having seen the tragic deaths of medics in Italy and now closer to home here in the UK, doctors and NHS staff have every right to be concerned, knowing that a lack of adequate protection is not only dangerous, it may be fatal."
Dr Richard Vautrey, from the BMA, said many GPs remain "seriously concerned that what has been provided does not offer them sufficient protection for both themselves and for patients".
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Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 4:22 Inside the UK's first coronavirus 'hot clinic'
"This situation cannot be allowed to continue," he added.
"Practices need action not more promises."
The Royal College of Nursing said it was "completely unacceptable" that weeks into the coronavirus crisis some nurses are yet to be provided with the necessary PPE.
Its chief executive Dame Donna Kinnair said she had heard from nurses who are treating patients in COVID-19 wards "without any protection at all".
"This cannot continue," she said. "They are putting themselves, their families, and their patients at risk.
"We need action, we need equipment, we need it now."
It has been claimed that protective gowns for frontline NHS staff were not included in the national pandemic stockpile of PPE.
The Health Care Supply Association (HCSA), which represents procurement professionals within the UK's healthcare sector, warned of "serious supply issues" in hospitals.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 4:34 A first glimpse inside NHS Nightingale
The HCSA has asked officials "why gowns appear never to be included in the original pandemic stockpile".
In a tweet about the issue, which has since been deleted, the HCSA's chief officer Alan Hoskins said he had "just got message back no stock can't help", before adding: "God help us all."
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has said the government "cannot and should not ask people to be on the frontline without the right protective equipment".
He has said 170 million masks and almost 10 million items of cleaning equipment are among the items being delivered to NHS trusts and healthcare settings.
Meanwhile, NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens has said the government is "pulling out all the stops" to deliver enough equipment to hospitals but cautioned it was a "huge logistics exercise".
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:00 'Over 9,000 in hospital beds with coronavirus'
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told Sky News' Kay Burley @ Breakfast Show that protective equipment "should be filtering through".
"Every hospital has now had gear," he said.
"But there's no denying this have been an enormous national effort, completely unprecedented, of course, to have something of this size and scale.
"Everyone in a military-style operation - literally using the military - has been working flat out to make sure everyone has exactly what they need.
"But it is coming through and there is a hotline for NHS staff to be able to use, or hospitals to be able to use, if they are still short of anything."
Podcast Podcast , which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Podcast cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the This content is provided by, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enablecookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Podcast cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to allow Podcast cookies for this session only. Enable Cookies Allow Cookies Once
:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
The deaths of a further 180 coronavirus patients were confirmed on Monday, taking the UK's total to 1,415.


news--2020-03-31--Coronavirus: Supermarket vouchers to go out to children entitled to free school meals

Supermarket vouchers are to begin going out to children entitled to free school meals during the coronavirus outbreak .
Schools have been closed as part of measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus .
The vouchers , worth £15-a-week for each eligible child , have been set above the £11.50 currently paid to schools for the cost of providing free meals .
The decision is in recognition that families - unlike school caterers - do not order in bulk and therefore face higher costs .
The vouchers can be spent on food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's , Tesco , Asda , Morrisons , Waitrose and Marks and Spencer , although Mr Williamson said he hoped to get all the supermarket chains signed up .
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said schools across England are being invited to join the scheme to ensure those families most in need of support get the help they need .
He added the devolved administrations in Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland were also being given the chance to sign up .
It is estimated that 1.3 million pupils are currently entitled to free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some schools were making their own plans to ensure pupils continued to be fed , he hoped most would join the scheme .
He added that no child should have to go hungry as a result of measures brought in to control the spread of the virus .
Mr Williamson said : `` I really hope that this is something taken up by most schools .
I think this will be a real big help to so many families .
`` We are living in extraordinary times at the moment .
It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can do for families , make sure those children we really want to be able to support and help are getting that support .
`` What we are wanting to do is just give schools that extra bit of support , give families that extra bit of support . ''
: : Listen to the Sophy Ridge on Sunday podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker The government originally announced the voucher plan following the decision earlier this month to close all schools .
Once a school has joined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out by email directly to the eligible families by Edenred , the Department for Education 's supplier .
Alternatively , for those families which do not have internet access , the school can claim them on their behalf and send out paper copies in the post .
The vouchers are being sent out as dozens of child poverty charities are set to close with six months if they are unable to replace funds lost due to pandemic .
The Childhood Trust said 40 % of 65 London charities it surveyed will struggle to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without another source of income .
It estimates more than 100,000 children could be left without key support , such as meals and mental health care .
Of the 65 charities , which support around 184,000 children and young people , 90 % said they are certain children will go hungry during the COVID-19 outbreak .
This is due to a loss of free school meals , shortage of staple goods amid stockpiling , and loss of family earnings .
Some 89 % of the charities said they need emergency funding from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they will need financial support so they can continue to feed the children they currently help .
And two-thirds ( 66 % ) said they feel unprepared for an influx in young people needing support during the crisis .
The Childhood Trust said the coronavirus outbreak is an `` existential threat '' to many charities ' ability to keep running , and is calling for urgent help from the government .
Laurence Guinness , chief executive of the Children 's Trust , said : `` The stark comparison between the funding decline in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are going to need support is hugely worrying .
`` Evidence from our network of over 200 funded charities highlights that the impact of this crisis is being disproportionately experienced by children whose lives are already challenged by poverty and its attendant hardships .
`` For many of these children , the crisis is exacerbating chronic anxiety , stress , inadequate diets , domestic violence , loss of peer support and rapid mental health deterioration . ''

Supermarket vouchers are to begin going out to children entitled to free school meals during the coronavirus outbreak.
Schools have been closed as part of measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
The vouchers, worth £15-a-week for each eligible child, have been set above the £11.50 currently paid to schools for the cost of providing free meals.
The decision is in recognition that families - unlike school caterers - do not order in bulk and therefore face higher costs.
The vouchers can be spent on food at a range of shops including Sainsbury's, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose and Marks and Spencer, although Mr Williamson said he hoped to get all the supermarket chains signed up.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:57 Coronavirus: What you need to know
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said schools across England are being invited to join the scheme to ensure those families most in need of support get the help they need.
He added the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were also being given the chance to sign up.
It is estimated that 1.3 million pupils are currently entitled to free meals.
Mr Williamson said that while some schools were making their own plans to ensure pupils continued to be fed, he hoped most would join the scheme.
Advertisement
He added that no child should have to go hungry as a result of measures brought in to control the spread of the virus.
Mr Williamson said: "I really hope that this is something taken up by most schools. I think this will be a real big help to so many families.
"We are living in extraordinary times at the moment. It's really important that we do everything we can do for families, make sure those children we really want to be able to support and help are getting that support.
"What we are wanting to do is just give schools that extra bit of support, give families that extra bit of support."
:: Listen to the Sophy Ridge on Sunday podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
The government originally announced the voucher plan following the decision earlier this month to close all schools.
Once a school has joined the scheme the vouchers will be sent out by email directly to the eligible families by Edenred, the Department for Education's supplier.
Alternatively, for those families which do not have internet access, the school can claim them on their behalf and send out paper copies in the post.
The vouchers are being sent out as dozens of child poverty charities are set to close with six months if they are unable to replace funds lost due to pandemic.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:16 Choristers sing during lockdown in Somerset
The Childhood Trust said 40% of 65 London charities it surveyed will struggle to keep their doors open to vulnerable children without another source of income.
It estimates more than 100,000 children could be left without key support, such as meals and mental health care.
Of the 65 charities, which support around 184,000 children and young people, 90% said they are certain children will go hungry during the COVID-19 outbreak.
This is due to a loss of free school meals, shortage of staple goods amid stockpiling, and loss of family earnings.
Some 89% of the charities said they need emergency funding from the government, while more than half said they will need financial support so they can continue to feed the children they currently help.
And two-thirds (66%) said they feel unprepared for an influx in young people needing support during the crisis.
The Childhood Trust said the coronavirus outbreak is an "existential threat" to many charities' ability to keep running, and is calling for urgent help from the government.
Laurence Guinness, chief executive of the Children's Trust, said: "The stark comparison between the funding decline in charities and vast increase in children who are going to need support is hugely worrying.
"Evidence from our network of over 200 funded charities highlights that the impact of this crisis is being disproportionately experienced by children whose lives are already challenged by poverty and its attendant hardships.
"For many of these children, the crisis is exacerbating chronic anxiety, stress, inadequate diets, domestic violence, loss of peer support and rapid mental health deterioration."


news--2020-03-31--Coronavirus: MPs demand 'Army-style' compensation for NHS workers who die from COVID-19

A group of 50 MPs have written to Boris Johnson to call for compensation for the families of those who lose their lives on the frontline of the battle against coronavirus .
At the weekend , NHS consultant Amged El-Hawrani - an ear , nose and throat specialist - was confirmed as the first frontline hospital worker in the UK to die after contracting coronavirus .
Two other doctors - Dr Habib Zaidi , a GP from Essex , and Dr Adil El Tayar , an organ transplant specialist who had been volunteering in an A & E department in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have died with COVID-19 symptoms .
In their letter to the prime minister , which has also been signed by 1,150 members of the public , the cross-party group of MPs called for a compensation scheme similar to that offered to by the Armed Forces .
They said the families of those who lose their lives should be offered a lump sum , a guaranteed income , and child payments to eligible children under the age of 18 .
The government should also offer a contribution towards funeral costs , the MPs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be open to the families of those classified as key workers , such as NHS and social care staff as well as teachers .
Their letter states : `` Those on the frontline of this battle against coronavirus are heroes .
`` However , the risks to themselves and their families that they are taking on a daily basis are not recognised as much as they should be .
`` They are putting their lives on the line , and we believe that they deserve to be protected .
`` Just like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should know that if the worst happens , the state will help their families .
`` It is what they need , and what they deserve . ''
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker The letter has been arranged by the Liberal Democrats ' Layla Moran and its signatories include Conservative , Labour , SNP , and Plaid Cymru MPs .
At the weekend , it was reported hundreds of doctors have said they are less likely to return to the frontline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they fear their families will not be properly compensated if they die .

A group of 50 MPs have written to Boris Johnson to call for compensation for the families of those who lose their lives on the frontline of the battle against coronavirus.
At the weekend, NHS consultant Amged El-Hawrani - an ear, nose and throat specialist - was confirmed as the first frontline hospital worker in the UK to die after contracting coronavirus.
Two other doctors - Dr Habib Zaidi, a GP from Essex, and Dr Adil El Tayar, an organ transplant specialist who had been volunteering in an A&E department in the West Midlands - are also reported to have died with COVID-19 symptoms.
In their letter to the prime minister, which has also been signed by 1,150 members of the public, the cross-party group of MPs called for a compensation scheme similar to that offered to by the Armed Forces.
They said the families of those who lose their lives should be offered a lump sum, a guaranteed income, and child payments to eligible children under the age of 18.
The government should also offer a contribution towards funeral costs, the MPs said.
They want the compensation scheme to be open to the families of those classified as key workers, such as NHS and social care staff as well as teachers.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:21 Doctor's children: 'I wonder if enough was done to protect him'
Their letter states: "Those on the frontline of this battle against coronavirus are heroes.
"However, the risks to themselves and their families that they are taking on a daily basis are not recognised as much as they should be.
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"They are putting their lives on the line, and we believe that they deserve to be protected.
"Just like members of our Armed Forces, they should know that if the worst happens, the state will help their families.
"It is what they need, and what they deserve."
Podcast Podcast , which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Podcast cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the This content is provided by, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enablecookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Podcast cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to allow Podcast cookies for this session only. Enable Cookies Allow Cookies Once
:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
The letter has been arranged by the Liberal Democrats' Layla Moran and its signatories include Conservative, Labour, SNP, and Plaid Cymru MPs.
At the weekend, it was reported hundreds of doctors have said they are less likely to return to the frontline or increase their hours to fight COVID-19 because they fear their families will not be properly compensated if they die.


news--2020-03-30--Shaun Ryder: 'I think I've had coronavirus - but I'm fine, I've been isolating for years'

Shaun Ryder has shared his top tips for surviving the national lockdown - saying he is going to repeat his favourite TV series and learn how to play chess .
Speaking to Sky News from his home in Manchester , the Happy Mondays and Black Grape star said he has been `` basically self-isolating for the past 10 years , apart from work '' so is fully equipped to deal with life indoors .
And he thinks both he and his wife , Joanne , may have already had COVID-19 , the disease caused by coronavirus , after falling ill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He is more than content spending the lockdown with Joanne and three of his children - Oliver , 26 , Pearl , 12 , and Lulu , 11 , and dog Malcolm , a beagle - but says he would have found it a lot harder to cope had the crisis happened when he was younger , at the hedonistic heights of his fame .
`` We 're all good here , '' Ryder starts off .
`` We 're now all sort of rushing to take the dog for a walk .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Both he and Joanne were ill about three weeks ago , he says .
`` I 'm pretty sure we 've had it .
We had symptoms of it .
I mean , nothing puts my missus in bed ; no matter what , she 'll still get up even if she 's dying , but this floored her .
She was in bed for over a week .
`` She had pretty much everything they said : could n't move , found it hard breathing .
Then I went down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I had no energy but nothing that I 'd go to A & E with , I coped with it at home .
`` So , you know , I think a lot of people have had it [ but not been confirmed ] . ''
Ryder takes regular medication for an underactive thyroid and also has allergies , so says if he has had coronavirus , it could have been a lot worse .
`` Yeah , my immune system is pretty much shagged , '' he says .
`` Once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
My dust allergies are terrible as well .
I get symptoms where I ca n't swallow , I ca n't breathe .
`` I actually stop breathing , I think it 's 80 times a night , because I have sleep apnoea .
I 've had it since I was a kid .
`` With my allergies and breathing I 'd think I would have got it real bad , but , you know… '' Along with musicians all over the world , Ryder has had to postpone gigs , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Black Grape and Happy Mondays delayed , plus appearances at festivals , including Glastonbury .
`` All the work 's gone , '' he says .
`` I 've got a few voiceovers , adverts , to keep me busy .
`` I miss work but I 'm all right .
I do n't mind it .
You know , I basically started self-isolating about 10 years ago , apart from work .
`` I 'm quite happy sat in front of the telly watching everything on Sky , Netflix , Amazon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I 've got the lot .
So I 'm all right , but my wife 's going mental . ''
Because Shaun is at home more ?
`` Well no , she 's always so busy , she likes to get out .
So now she 's decided she 's going to do the garage , which we 've got about 12 years of junk that she 's now moved into a big pile in the back garden . ''
Isolation games in the Ryder household consist of cards - Pontoon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which `` causes loads of arguments '' .
But now is the time to learn a new skill , he says .
`` Pearl is going to teach me chess , because I always I always end up turning it around and saying , no , let 's play draughts .
But she can play chess , our Pearl .
So now is the perfect time to learn chess . ''
Ryder says if he was his son 's age , things might be a little different when it comes to coping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be f****** mental for them , '' he says .
`` I 'm sure if I was 21 or even 29 and this was happening , I do n't think I could stick to it .
`` Although I just thought , I was addicted to heroin at that time so actually I could probably just sit in the chair and nod off all day . ''
Alongside his Happy Mondays and Black Grape bandmate Bez , Ryder has found a host of new fans in recent years thanks to their partnership on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone tasked with watching TV for a living , what are his recommendations ?
`` I 'm in the middle of watching that one… it 's all the nutcases with the animals .
What 's it called ?
Tiger King .
They are absolutely gone with the fairies , they 're all absolutely raving out of the box , the lot of them .
All those people with animals like tigers , who 've got their own zoos in America , and one guy 's got something like 2,000 tigers in his back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Apart from that , Ryder says he has `` watched pretty much everything '' so is revisiting old favourites .
`` I 'm going to have to go back on stuff .
There 's one about the FBI and serial killers , a true story… Mindhunter .
That was brilliant .
I recommend that to anybody .
And another one that 's a true story… Unbelievable .
That was really good .
Very well made . ''
: : Listen to the Backstage podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Ryder had been on tour with his bands and also doing solo Q & A shows for fans .
The plan is , he says , to maybe start setting up something similar online while the shows are called off .
Production on a film about his life , starring Jack O'Connell as Ryder , has also been delayed .
`` The good thing is it all gets rescheduled , '' he says .
`` It 'll be all right . ''
However , Ryder says the situation is `` terrible '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It 's difficult for musicians all round , '' he says .
`` For record shops too , but at least they can still sell online .
That 's a good thing now . ''
Ryder says that while the Conservatives `` are n't my party '' , he thinks the government has been `` pretty good , on the whole '' in its handling of the coronavirus crisis .
`` I would n't have voted [ Boris Johnson ] for prime minister but I think he 's done all right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posted his own `` clap for carers '' video on social media in support of the viral campaign encouraging people across the country to support health workers as they fight the virus on the frontline .
`` I 've got family that work in the NHS , '' he says .
`` They 're all amazing people , they do a great job . ''
As long as he has his TV and supplies - `` I ca n't live without Lurpak… and I 've got fish in the freezer '' - Ryder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are too .
His message for getting through isolation ?
`` Well , take care .
And remember , once a day for your exercises .
`` You 've got to be a bit optimistic .
I know I have .
If I put anything negative in me then it seems to amplify the situation .
I have to think positive .
`` I ca n't think anything not positive , otherwise I 'll bring it into existence .
Like , every time I think of somebody who I do n't want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ door .
So think positive . ''
Shaun Ryder has rescheduled gigs with Happy Mondays and Black Grape planned for later in 2020 and 2021 , plus new dates for his Q & A shows from August 2020

Shaun Ryder has shared his top tips for surviving the national lockdown - saying he is going to repeat his favourite TV series and learn how to play chess.
Speaking to Sky News from his home in Manchester, the Happy Mondays and Black Grape star said he has been "basically self-isolating for the past 10 years, apart from work" so is fully equipped to deal with life indoors.
And he thinks both he and his wife, Joanne, may have already had COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, after falling ill at the beginning of the month.
Image: Ryder says he believes he and his wife Joanne, pictured in 2014, have both already had coronavirus
He is more than content spending the lockdown with Joanne and three of his children - Oliver, 26, Pearl, 12, and Lulu, 11, and dog Malcolm, a beagle - but says he would have found it a lot harder to cope had the crisis happened when he was younger, at the hedonistic heights of his fame.
"We're all good here," Ryder starts off. "We're now all sort of rushing to take the dog for a walk. We have more volunteers for that now."
Both he and Joanne were ill about three weeks ago, he says.
"I'm pretty sure we've had it. We had symptoms of it. I mean, nothing puts my missus in bed; no matter what, she'll still get up even if she's dying, but this floored her. She was in bed for over a week.
"She had pretty much everything they said: couldn't move, found it hard breathing. Then I went down with the old headaches and flu-type symptoms. I had no energy but nothing that I'd go to A&E with, I coped with it at home.
"So, you know, I think a lot of people have had it [but not been confirmed]."
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Image: Ryder and his Happy Mondays bandmate Bez have found new fans thanks to Channel 4's Gogglebox
Ryder takes regular medication for an underactive thyroid and also has allergies, so says if he has had coronavirus, it could have been a lot worse.
"Yeah, my immune system is pretty much shagged," he says. "Once your thyroid's gone, that's it. My dust allergies are terrible as well. I get symptoms where I can't swallow, I can't breathe.
"I actually stop breathing, I think it's 80 times a night, because I have sleep apnoea. I've had it since I was a kid.
"With my allergies and breathing I'd think I would have got it real bad, but, you know…"
Image: The star found fame with the Happy Mondays in the late '80s
Along with musicians all over the world, Ryder has had to postpone gigs, with scheduled Q&A tours and shows with Black Grape and Happy Mondays delayed, plus appearances at festivals, including Glastonbury.
"All the work's gone," he says. "I've got a few voiceovers, adverts, to keep me busy.
"I miss work but I'm all right. I don't mind it. You know, I basically started self-isolating about 10 years ago, apart from work.
"I'm quite happy sat in front of the telly watching everything on Sky, Netflix, Amazon Prime. And the one called Roku. I've got the lot. So I'm all right, but my wife's going mental."
Because Shaun is at home more?
"Well no, she's always so busy, she likes to get out. So now she's decided she's going to do the garage, which we've got about 12 years of junk that she's now moved into a big pile in the back garden."
Image: The music star, pictured with his daughter Lulu, says he is happy being at home with his children
Isolation games in the Ryder household consist of cards - Pontoon, Gin Rummy and "Bastard Brag", which "causes loads of arguments".
But now is the time to learn a new skill, he says.
"Pearl is going to teach me chess, because I always I always end up turning it around and saying, no, let's play draughts. But she can play chess, our Pearl. So now is the perfect time to learn chess."
Ryder says if he was his son's age, things might be a little different when it comes to coping with the lockdown.
"It must be f****** mental for them," he says. "I'm sure if I was 21 or even 29 and this was happening, I don't think I could stick to it.
"Although I just thought, I was addicted to heroin at that time so actually I could probably just sit in the chair and nod off all day."
Alongside his Happy Mondays and Black Grape bandmate Bez, Ryder has found a host of new fans in recent years thanks to their partnership on the sofa for Celebrity Gogglebox. As someone tasked with watching TV for a living, what are his recommendations?
"I'm in the middle of watching that one… it's all the nutcases with the animals. What's it called? Tiger King. They are absolutely gone with the fairies, they're all absolutely raving out of the box, the lot of them. All those people with animals like tigers, who've got their own zoos in America, and one guy's got something like 2,000 tigers in his back garden. It's absolutely mad."
Apart from that, Ryder says he has "watched pretty much everything" so is revisiting old favourites.
"I'm going to have to go back on stuff. There's one about the FBI and serial killers, a true story… Mindhunter. That was brilliant. I recommend that to anybody. And another one that's a true story… Unbelievable. That was really good. Very well made."
:: Listen to the Backstage podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Before coronavirus started to spread, Ryder had been on tour with his bands and also doing solo Q&A shows for fans. The plan is, he says, to maybe start setting up something similar online while the shows are called off.
Production on a film about his life, starring Jack O'Connell as Ryder, has also been delayed.
"The good thing is it all gets rescheduled," he says. "It'll be all right."
However, Ryder says the situation is "terrible" for artists who are not so well-established.
"It's difficult for musicians all round," he says. "For record shops too, but at least they can still sell online. That's a good thing now."
Ryder says that while the Conservatives "aren't my party", he thinks the government has been "pretty good, on the whole" in its handling of the coronavirus crisis.
"I wouldn't have voted [Boris Johnson] for prime minister but I think he's done all right."
Instagram Instagram , which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Instagram cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the This content is provided by, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enablecookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Instagram cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to allow Instagram cookies for this session only. Enable Cookies Allow Cookies Once
Last week, the star posted his own "clap for carers" video on social media in support of the viral campaign encouraging people across the country to support health workers as they fight the virus on the frontline.
"I've got family that work in the NHS," he says. "They're all amazing people, they do a great job."
As long as he has his TV and supplies - "I can't live without Lurpak… and I've got fish in the freezer" - Ryder is keeping upbeat, and hopes others are too.
His message for getting through isolation?
"Well, take care. And remember, once a day for your exercises.
"You've got to be a bit optimistic. I know I have. If I put anything negative in me then it seems to amplify the situation. I have to think positive.
"I can't think anything not positive, otherwise I'll bring it into existence. Like, every time I think of somebody who I don't want to see they end up knocking on your door. So think positive."
Shaun Ryder has rescheduled gigs with Happy Mondays and Black Grape planned for later in 2020 and 2021, plus new dates for his Q&A shows from August 2020


news--2020-03-31--Coronavirus: Senior officer warns police over lockdown tactics after 'over-zealous' claims

One of the UK 's most senior police officers has warned forces that their handling of the coronavirus crisis will be remembered for generations to come after some were accused of overreaching their powers .
But Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Neil Basu also urged the British public not to judge officers too harshly in their policing of the UK 's COVID-19 lockdown measures .
Britons breaking coronavirus lockdown rules can be arrested or fined £60 under new police powers to ensure people stay at home and avoid non-essential travel .
But there have been claims of `` over-zealous '' policing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people for activities including driving `` due to boredom '' and `` going to the shops '' with other members of the same household .
Writing in the Daily Telegraph , Mr Basu acknowledged forces were being compelled to use powers he `` never imagined a British police officer would be asked to use '' .
`` Everyone in policing is acutely aware that how we police this pandemic will be remembered for many years to come , '' he said .
`` Preserving the trust and confidence of the public by policing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been since 1829 .
`` There will be a period of readjustment to our new responsibilities , which no police officer ever thought they would have .
`` Not every police response will be surefooted and some will spark healthy debate .
We should not judge too harshly . ''
Mr Basu urged officers to heed calls by two of Britain 's most senior officers , Metropolitan Police commissioner Dame Cressida Dick and Martin Hewitt , chairman of the National Police Chiefs ' Council ( NPCC ) , that `` persuasion and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our primary goal '' , rather than being too quick to impose punishments .
Mr Hewitt has written to police chiefs across forces in England and Wales about the need for greater consistency in applying the emergency powers , according to the Guardian .
Senior police commanders are understood to have been concerned over how the unprecedented powers were being implemented by some forces , with Lancashire Police issuing 123 enforcement notices since Thursday and Bedfordshire Police issuing none , the newspaper reported .
Last week Derbyshire Police defended using drones to deter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force filmed people rambling in the Peak District .
Meanwhile , legal and human rights experts have described Warrington Police 's actions as `` dystopian '' after officers opted to summon people to court for supposed offences such as `` returning from parties '' .
Critics argued the measures were not justified by the new legislation and risked harming the ongoing effort to combat the coronavirus outbreak .
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps suggested there were `` individual examples '' where police acted `` perhaps a bit further than they should have gone ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police to do something completely unprecedented here , I think most of the public actually just want to help the police do that job , '' he told Sky News ' Kay Burley @ Breakfast Show .
Asked about the way police were interpreting the new rules , Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Monday that `` common sense '' should be used and he backed officers `` doing a very difficult job in unprecedented circumstances '' .
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify @ @

One of the UK's most senior police officers has warned forces that their handling of the coronavirus crisis will be remembered for generations to come after some were accused of overreaching their powers.
But Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Neil Basu also urged the British public not to judge officers too harshly in their policing of the UK's COVID-19 lockdown measures.
Britons breaking coronavirus lockdown rules can be arrested or fined £60 under new police powers to ensure people stay at home and avoid non-essential travel.
Image: Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said 'policing by consent is our mantra'
But there have been claims of "over-zealous" policing after one force said it was prosecuting people for activities including driving "due to boredom" and "going to the shops" with other members of the same household.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Basu acknowledged forces were being compelled to use powers he "never imagined a British police officer would be asked to use".
"Everyone in policing is acutely aware that how we police this pandemic will be remembered for many years to come," he said.
"Preserving the trust and confidence of the public by policing by consent is our mantra, and has been since 1829.
Image: A police officer talks to cyclists in London's Richmond Park
"There will be a period of readjustment to our new responsibilities, which no police officer ever thought they would have.
"Not every police response will be surefooted and some will spark healthy debate. We should not judge too harshly."
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Mr Basu urged officers to heed calls by two of Britain's most senior officers, Metropolitan Police commissioner Dame Cressida Dick and Martin Hewitt, chairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), that "persuasion and education to do the right thing is our primary goal", rather than being too quick to impose punishments.
Mr Hewitt has written to police chiefs across forces in England and Wales about the need for greater consistency in applying the emergency powers, according to the Guardian.
Image: An officer tells people to leave Brighton beach
Senior police commanders are understood to have been concerned over how the unprecedented powers were being implemented by some forces, with Lancashire Police issuing 123 enforcement notices since Thursday and Bedfordshire Police issuing none, the newspaper reported.
Last week Derbyshire Police defended using drones to deter people from flouting the measures after the force filmed people rambling in the Peak District.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:27 Derbyshire Police use drone to catch hikers
Meanwhile, legal and human rights experts have described Warrington Police's actions as "dystopian" after officers opted to summon people to court for supposed offences such as "returning from parties".
Critics argued the measures were not justified by the new legislation and risked harming the ongoing effort to combat the coronavirus outbreak.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps suggested there were "individual examples" where police acted "perhaps a bit further than they should have gone'".
"We're asking the police to do something completely unprecedented here, I think most of the public actually just want to help the police do that job," he told Sky News' Kay Burley @ Breakfast Show.
Asked about the way police were interpreting the new rules, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Monday that "common sense" should be used and he backed officers "doing a very difficult job in unprecedented circumstances".
Podcast Podcast , which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Podcast cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the This content is provided by, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enablecookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Podcast cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to allow Podcast cookies for this session only. Enable Cookies Allow Cookies Once
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