news--2020-04-10--Coronavirus: Wartime helicopters are on standby to help NHS airlift COVID-19 patients

More than a dozen helicopters used for evacuating wounded troops in wartime are on standby to help NHS medics airlift coronavirus patients in the UK and from the Channel Islands .
The COVID Aviation Task Force can be used to transport urgent equipment and personnel anywhere in the country , according to the Ministry of Defence ( MoD ) .
It features aircraft from the Royal Air Force , the Royal Navy 's Fleet Air Arm , and the Army Air Corps .
Crew from three helicopters spent time on Thursday with medics from an air ambulance detachment at an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other operates and about how to keep safe on the coronavirus frontline .
Commander Chris Knowles is commanding officer of 820 Naval Air Squadron , the helicopter squadron for the Royal Navy 's HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier .
He has experience of flying medical evacuations during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan .
The commander said his squadron may need to operate their Merlin helicopters differently when flying NHS medics in support of very sick coronavirus patients .
He said : `` If we have got a patient that is suffering any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we will be advised by the medical team .
`` But for instance we may not climb to altitude in order to make sure oxygen levels stay stable for the patient .
`` We 'll take advice from the medical team on the speed that they want to arrive at the next facility and whether smoothness of flying is a high priority depending on the amount of care they 're providing to the patient at the time . ''
It is a learning curve for the medics of the Hampshire and Isle of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flying around in a military helicopter like an RAF Chinook or Puma or a Merlin , there are vibrations , it is noisy and the lighting `` can be challenging '' , said Dr Simon Hughes , a senior air ambulance doctor , who previously served in the RAF .
`` But they have an advantage of speed and of range , '' he said .
While still testing out the concept of what the COVID Aviation Task Force , a military helicopter was called into action earlier this week for an airlift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patient to Southampton Hospital .
It is not thought that the person had COVID-19 - the disease caused by coronavirus - but the medics handle each call out as `` COVID possible '' and take all the necessary precautions in terms of wearing protective gear .
They must also keep as much distance as possible from their military aircrew to limit the chance of infection .
The military helicopters will be tasked with flying to harder-to-reach locations , such as Guernsey and Jersey or the Shetland Islands , and taking patients to better-equipped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reach individual homes and also airlift patients between hospitals .
The task force comprises more than a dozen helicopters located out of military bases across the country , on notice to respond in support of any NHS crew when called upon .
The lessons learned by both sides during the practice session will be shared among other colleagues .

More than a dozen helicopters used for evacuating wounded troops in wartime are on standby to help NHS medics airlift coronavirus patients in the UK and from the Channel Islands.
The COVID Aviation Task Force can be used to transport urgent equipment and personnel anywhere in the country, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
It features aircraft from the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, and the Army Air Corps.
Image: Some crews have already been involved a test day
Crew from three helicopters spent time on Thursday with medics from an air ambulance detachment at an airfield in Hampshire, learning how each other operates and about how to keep safe on the coronavirus frontline.
Commander Chris Knowles is commanding officer of 820 Naval Air Squadron, the helicopter squadron for the Royal Navy's HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier.
He has experience of flying medical evacuations during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The commander said his squadron may need to operate their Merlin helicopters differently when flying NHS medics in support of very sick coronavirus patients.
He said: "If we have got a patient that is suffering any sort of respiratory distress, then obviously we will be advised by the medical team.
"But for instance we may not climb to altitude in order to make sure oxygen levels stay stable for the patient.
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"We'll take advice from the medical team on the speed that they want to arrive at the next facility and whether smoothness of flying is a high priority depending on the amount of care they're providing to the patient at the time."
Image: The choppers could reach individual homes and transport patients between hospitals
It is a learning curve for the medics of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance team as well.
Flying around in a military helicopter like an RAF Chinook or Puma or a Merlin, there are vibrations, it is noisy and the lighting "can be challenging", said Dr Simon Hughes, a senior air ambulance doctor, who previously served in the RAF.
"But they have an advantage of speed and of range," he said.
While still testing out the concept of what the COVID Aviation Task Force, a military helicopter was called into action earlier this week for an airlift with the Hampshire medics, taking a patient to Southampton Hospital.
It is not thought that the person had COVID-19 - the disease caused by coronavirus - but the medics handle each call out as "COVID possible" and take all the necessary precautions in terms of wearing protective gear.
They must also keep as much distance as possible from their military aircrew to limit the chance of infection.
The military helicopters will be tasked with flying to harder-to-reach locations, such as Guernsey and Jersey or the Shetland Islands, and taking patients to better-equipped hospitals.
They have the ability to reach individual homes and also airlift patients between hospitals.
The task force comprises more than a dozen helicopters located out of military bases across the country, on notice to respond in support of any NHS crew when called upon.
The lessons learned by both sides during the practice session will be shared among other colleagues.


news--2020-04-11--Coronavirus: US becomes first country to record 2,000 coronavirus deaths in one day

More than 2,000 people who tested positive for coronavirus died across the US on Friday - the highest number of fatalities seen in a single day anywhere in the world .
According to Johns Hopkins University , the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the US has now exceeded 500,000 .
However , there are signs that Americans are increasingly staying at home to help reduce the number of new coronavirus infections .
Top economic officials in the Trump administration have expressed hope that businesses could start to reopen in May , but America 's top infectious diseases expert has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now is no time to back off , '' Dr Anthony Fauci said .
In total , more than 18,600 people in the US have died after testing positive for the coronavirus - narrowly behind Italy , which currently has the highest number of fatalities worldwide .
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Officials have warned that fatalities will likely peak this week and then start to decline .
Evidence suggests that the number of new infections is flattening in New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak .
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo confirmed there were 777 new deaths in the state on Friday , a slight reduction on the day before .
But in more encouraging news , the number of new hospitalisations increased by just 290 - considerably less than last week , when over 1,000 admissions were regularly being made on a daily basis .
The number of intensive care patients in New York has also decreased slightly for the first time since the middle of March .
On Friday , President Donald Trump said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 100,000 lives to coronavirus - and he ordered the US government to provide medical supplies and humanitarian relief to Italy .
US government figures leaked to The New York Times have suggested that the total number of fatalities in the US could reach 200,000 if Mr Trump lifts shelter-in-place orders after 30 days .
The document also warned that coronavirus infectious could spike in the summer , but no specific dates were given .
New data has suggested that black and Hispanic people in the US are twice as likely to die @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have poor access to healthcare .
In New York state , 17 % of those who die from coronavirus are black , despite representing only 9 % of the population .
And in Illinois , black residents have accounted for 42 % of coronavirus-related deaths statewide , despite only accounting for about 14 % of the state 's population .
New York City has begun digging extra graves in its public cemetery , with pictures showing pine caskets stacked on top of each other in a large burial pit .
It has hired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after contracting the coronavirus and whose bodies have not been claimed .

More than 2,000 people who tested positive for coronavirus died across the US on Friday - the highest number of fatalities seen in a single day anywhere in the world.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the US has now exceeded 500,000.
However, there are signs that Americans are increasingly staying at home to help reduce the number of new coronavirus infections.
Image: Donald Trump has expressed confidence that fewer than 100,000 US lives will be lost to coronavirus
Top economic officials in the Trump administration have expressed hope that businesses could start to reopen in May, but America's top infectious diseases expert has warned against relaxing restrictions prematurely.
"Now is no time to back off," Dr Anthony Fauci said.
In total, more than 18,600 people in the US have died after testing positive for the coronavirus - narrowly behind Italy, which currently has the highest number of fatalities worldwide.
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:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Officials have warned that fatalities will likely peak this week and then start to decline.
Evidence suggests that the number of new infections is flattening in New York state, the epicentre of the US outbreak.
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Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:51 Racial disparities in US COVID-19 deaths
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo confirmed there were 777 new deaths in the state on Friday, a slight reduction on the day before.
But in more encouraging news, the number of new hospitalisations increased by just 290 - considerably less than last week, when over 1,000 admissions were regularly being made on a daily basis.
The number of intensive care patients in New York has also decreased slightly for the first time since the middle of March.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:28 10,000 families line up at Texas food bank
On Friday, President Donald Trump said that he believes the US will lose fewer than 100,000 lives to coronavirus - and he ordered the US government to provide medical supplies and humanitarian relief to Italy.
US government figures leaked to The New York Times have suggested that the total number of fatalities in the US could reach 200,000 if Mr Trump lifts shelter-in-place orders after 30 days.
The document also warned that coronavirus infectious could spike in the summer, but no specific dates were given.
New data has suggested that black and Hispanic people in the US are twice as likely to die from COVID-19 - in part because they have poor access to healthcare.
In New York state, 17% of those who die from coronavirus are black, despite representing only 9% of the population.
And in Illinois, black residents have accounted for 42% of coronavirus-related deaths statewide, despite only accounting for about 14% of the state's population.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:33 Unclaimed virus victims in NY buried in mass grave
New York City has begun digging extra graves in its public cemetery, with pictures showing pine caskets stacked on top of each other in a large burial pit.
It has hired labourers to bury people who have died after contracting the coronavirus and whose bodies have not been claimed.


news--2020-04-07--Coronavirus: After being on lockdown in front of millions, Big Brother stars share tips

It 's 20 years since 10 strangers first entered the UK Big Brother house , voluntarily stepping into a self-isolation of sorts , albeit televised .
Now , as the world grapples with social distancing , we ask former Big Brother housemates Craig Phillips , Kate Lawler , Nikki Grahame and `` Nasty '' Nick Bateman for their tips on surviving coronavirus lockdown .
Does the lockdown feel like being back in Big Brother ?
I keep thinking that , now we 're all self-contained and ca n't go out .
When we were in the house we just wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family and get out of the four walls .
It was really pressurised , certainly after 64 days locked in there .
The Big Brother house looked bigger on TV than it actually was and we could n't open the front door and had no windows to look out of .
We could look in the garden , of course , through the patio doors , but no window to look outside and see what was going on in the real world .
At least now we can go out for a walk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What about the challenge of being trapped with other people ?
We were in there with people we did n't really want to be in there with .
I remember the psychiatrist saying to me before we went into the house , `` You know , Craig , if you were put in this environment with your best friends and your family , you 're still going to fall out '' .
It forced us to make friends because most of the people in there I generally would n't have hung around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the circumstances of living in the house .
I 've stayed friends with a few and even went to visit Nick in Australia [ where he now lives ] .
That moment in Big Brother where you confronted Nick about cheating has gone down in history .
Would you recommend being frank with those you 're stuck inside with ?
It had been heating up for a day and a half in the Big Brother house over Nick writing people 's names down and trying to manipulate us to vote for each other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the house and I was getting wound up myself .
I 'm quite calm and patient and can normally detach myself from a situation and look at it from a different angle .
I suggested we all sleep on it , then sit down the next day and talk about it around the table .
I was fuming at Nick , but I was relatively polite and professional - I even made him a cup of tea .
It did n't go too well for Nick on the day .
Nick was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so he had to be confronted for it and pay the price , which was to be chucked out of the house .
I think for people living at home now , it 's going to be testing for relationships too .
I think if people are having issues , having this lockdown is going to magnify them .
My advice would be to keep busy doing DIY ; you can work in one room and your partner can work in the other .
And when you do your daily exercise , go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stay sane in the Big Brother house ?
Something I did a lot was try to keep myself fit .
We did n't have any weights or anything like that , so I got tins of beans and spaghetti and put them all inside pillowcases and did bench presses , shoulder presses , squats and lateral raises .
I improvised to make weights and to try to keep my body strong , because I think if your body 's strong , your mind can be a lot stronger .
How are you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
I fell out with lots of my friends and family because 10 days before lockdown , we started self-isolating .
Nelly was our priority .
I 'd only go out to the shops wearing a mask and gloves and everyone would move out of my way .
Now everyone 's wearing them .
I think being in Big Brother has made me more disciplined and able to cope with lockdown , as well as being told what to do .
It also taught me how to live on basics - we were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so we had to be very selective about what we bought and how to make the most of it .
That 's useful now we 're economising and thinking about what we can freeze to give us two or three meals for later in the week .
Have you got a routine ?
Yes , I think it 's important to have a good structure .
We made a list .
I 'll get up with the baby , tinker around for two or three hours , go for our dog walk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nap and go in the office and get on the computer and do some emails .
Every day feels like a Sunday .
How else are you keeping busy ?
We built a new house and moved in a week before the baby was born .
It 's been a bit of a labour of love this last 12 months , dipping in and out and finishing off loads of little tasks .
Now I 'm housebound the list has got bigger and bigger , putting a fence in here and tiling there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ structure to keep us busy and motivated .
I think if you just get up and sit around and watch TV and Netflix you turn into a bit of a slob .
Now , we all deserve a bit of time being a slob when we 've worked hard , but I think it 's dangerous if several weeks in you 're still sitting in your pyjamas at 4 o'clock and watching the TV .
So what can people do to make themselves feel better ?
My background is DIY and we 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improvements while they 've got the time .
If you 've got some tools , some things do n't need materials .
You can just get out and fix and maintain things .
It makes your house a more enjoyable place to be around ; if you 're looking at the four walls and they 're looking a bit shabby , paint them up and make it feel brighter and you 'll make yourself feel better too .
How much did your life change after Big Brother ?
My life changed overnight .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Craig from the building site and came out a household name .
I remember coming out of the house and I was raced away by police and bodyguards , it was terrifying .
You got taken to a hotel , and I did n't end up going home for 97 days , right the way up to Christmas .
Do you think the world will change after coronavirus ?
I think it will make everybody learn a lot about themselves and respect their freedom a little bit more .
We 've got it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about it , so I think it will help put things in perspective .
Most of all , lockdown teaches you to enjoy the real things that matter most , like friends and family and your house around you .
How do you entertain yourself while stuck in a house ?
In Big Brother we did n't have phones , we did n't have books , we did n't have TV and we could n't watch films .
But we did have a garden , which made it a hell of a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own fun , which I guess is similar to now , because we ca n't go out at the weekend to the pub , or to a restaurant , or see our mates .
In Big Brother , I think I remember us playing hide and seek , which was ridiculous because it was just a house and we were hiding in really obvious places .
How do you cope with not knowing how long lockdown is going to last ?
In Big Brother , you knew that you had 12 weeks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was a bit of a doss and you were potentially going to win some money at the end of it .
But now , we could be in this lockdown for three weeks , or three months , or six months… we just have no idea .
I 'm sure if everybody was being told to lock down and the person who stayed indoors the longest would win £70,000 , everybody would be willing to comply a lot more .
Did you lose track of time stuck in a house for weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were ever aware of what day it is was when there was an eviction .
Friday night was eviction night .
You do lose track of time , especially as we did n't have watches , but that felt quite liberating .
I think because of everything they made us do in there , time went more quickly .
If we were n't playing games or doing challenges they 'd say to us , `` Tidy the house , it 's a s***hole '' , and we 'd have to tidy it up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ house did n't pull their weight - me included .
Personally , I think it 's important to establish a routine .
I think getting up at the same time and even if you do n't shower , just splash water on your face and brush your teeth and get dressed .
If you can just do that it will probably make you feel better than just sitting in your pyjamas all day .
But also , there 's loads of advice being given , like , `` Oh , read a book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's play a musical instrument '' .
I think it 's important to make people feel like it 's fine if they do n't have a productive day every now and then , if they 're not motivated to work , because we are in a global health crisis .
It 's understandable if you are feeling a bit nervous and a bit demotivated .
Is there a trick to getting on with people you 're stuck inside with ?
If you live with someone and you spend 24 hours a day with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get annoyed with each other .
And you did get annoyed at each other [ in Big Brother ] .
But people would try to keep a lid on their emotions because they were being filmed and because they did n't want to get nominated or voted out .
Now , you want to keep a lid on your emotions and you do n't want to argue because it 's not a nice feeling .
You just have to try and make the best of a bad situation .
Is it easy to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drinking too much ?
I was such a binge drinker in Big Brother .
I did n't even know what cider was when I went in .
I 'd never drunk it before , had no idea of the calories because they took all the labels off everything and I was drinking cider , blackcurrant and lager .
Is that a Snake Bite ?
We were drinking that every night , and this was before Big Brother limited the amount of alcohol you could drink each night , it was before all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So , we drank every night and I came out of Big Brother two stone heavier than I went in .
In contrast , I am probably eating healthier now than I 've ever eaten before and I 've done more exercise in the past two weeks than I 've done since the beginning of the year .
How do you cope with missing friends and family ?
In Big Brother , it was 12 weeks apart , but I always knew each Friday that I might be seeing my family that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you through .
But now I 'm really missing my family .
I 've got a new niece and I 've not met her yet and I might not meet her for months .
But I 've got to be grateful for things like FaceTime and photos and videos , which I 'm getting on a daily basis .
Me and my twin sister are going to be 40 next month too , but we 're probably going to have to spend our birthdays indoors .
For now , we 're just seeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Martin [ Kate 's fiance ] have been playing board games and having little kitchen raves with our dogs .
Any new lockdown hobbies up your sleeve ?
I 've given myself a haircut .
It was really easy , I got the scissors and just went for it .
I mean , it 's not the best haircut , it 's not going to win me any awards , but I managed to do it and it does n't look too bad .
It 's the roots I 'm going to struggle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get my roots done before lockdown was announced , so my hair is looking really bad .
Nikki Grahame - BB7 : First housemate ever to be voted back into the house How are you finding lockdown ?
How are you keeping busy ?
I 've been doing colour-by-number books , which are really relaxing and therapeutic , and I 'm reading The Da Vinci Code , which is a big book to keep me busy .
I 've ordered a couple of jigsaws , which is a good way to tune out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very clean flat as well because I 've been busy cleaning the cupboards out .
I 've got crafty too , and made a hanging bird treat from a loo roll , peanut butter and bird seed .
Have you learned any new skills ?
I 'm studying teaching , it felt like a great time to do that .
And once this is all over it 's a skill I can use to travel the world .
You live in a flat , does that feel restrictive ?
People have been sharing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how much I hate being stuck inside , it 's really funny .
But here at home , I 've invested in a cross-trainer .
It 's the most fantastic thing I 've ever bought myself , it 's my new best friend .
Even if they tighten the restrictions at least I have that .
I 've set it up in my living room in front of the TV .
I get cabin fever , so I 've been using the trainer and going for my hour walks to clear the cobwebs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family ?
I miss my close friends very much and we 've been calling a lot , but I have n't used Zoom or Houseparty because I felt self-conscious about putting make-up on and I felt obliged to do it for a video call .
I do have days where I put make-up on , but other days I ca n't be bothered .
I 'm close with some of my neighbours too and see them sometimes when I 'm taking my exercise walking in the park .
Have you tried to establish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brother house you lost track of time a lot and you 'd forget what day it was .
Now I 'm trying to stick to a schedule to give me routine .
I 've managed to keep my bedtime about the same but I have been waking up at strange hours .
You 're self-isolating alone , does that make it tougher than Big Brother ?
Yes !
It 's always great to have other people around because I 'm such a nosy person , and I love peeking my beak in other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other people around there 's always another conversation to earwig on , I just love it .
I find it very satisfying .
The thing I 'm not enjoying is queuing , it 's very irritating .
At the best of times I hate queuing , I do n't do it .
So when I 'm forced… I queued for 45 minutes in Waitrose the other day and I just lost the will ... they did n't even have what I wanted .
Did you learn any tips for getting on with other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to learn how to handle people and try not to push their buttons .
Sometimes play dumb and go along with what they 're saying to keep the peace .
In the house I learned to work out when people would be in the kitchen , when they 'd be in the toilet and try to avoid them to avoid confrontation .
But at the same , you should n't be a pushover .
In Big Brother you were famous for your outbursts .
Did speaking your mind in the house help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people think I 'm a pushover and not that smart , but I am very smart .
Did going on Big Brother change you ?
Big Brother made me more grounded .
I often wonder what I 'd be doing now without it… And I 'd love to do it again - Big Brother Australia would be amazing .
`` Nasty '' Nick Bateman - BB1 : The first person ever to be ejected from the house What are your tips for staying sane while stuck in a house ?
Step outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depending on the time of day .
Or go for a bath or a shower .
You need your own zone , especially with others around .
You were in Big Brother with nine other people , is it tougher to be in lockdown on your own or with others ?
Lockdown in the 21st century with the internet is a lot easier ...
I have a large family and I went to a boarding school , so I am used to having people around .
What are you doing to stay healthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Sydney , Australia , so we are allowed out , and can walk and take a drive .
Walking twice a day for an hour will clear your head .
You fall into a routine , and there is always something you can do - cleaning , cooking or playing cards .
Have you got a routine ?
To keep you motivated , it is essential , you must keep normal going-to-bed and waking hours .
Is it hard not to eat and drink too much when stuck inside ?
I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I will eat it .
I had six Creme Eggs yesterday , my plan was one a day .
I am drinking , but more tea and less booze now .
You were never nominated for eviction while in the Big Brother house , how did you manage that ?
Everyone is going to at some stage push the wrong buttons ; it is about managing triggers and smiling and biting your tongue , if you have any tongue left .
Although , your most famous moment was a confrontation with Craig… Confrontation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but in lockdown , I would avoid it .
What about saying sorry if you 're in the wrong ?
Sorry is a powerful word to use when you are wrong .
How are you finding being stuck inside ?
Our lockdown is not as severe as the UK , but our beaches and pubs are closed , which is like the end of the world here .
And I do n't think we closed our borders soon enough .
Have you picked up any new skills in lockdown ?
I am playing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against people globally and an online golf game , which is killing a lot of time , plus binge series watching on my laptop .
What are you watching ?
Dublin Murders , Tin Star , The Fall , Line Of Duty , Stateless , The Killing , Blood , The Capture and Mexican prison drama The Inmate .
Lots of people are saying coronavirus will change the way the world works , do you think it will ?
Perhaps with more cleaning of hands ( which you should do regardless of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flu in the future .
If Big Brother returned , would you do it again ?

It's 20 years since 10 strangers first entered the UK Big Brother house, voluntarily stepping into a self-isolation of sorts, albeit televised.
Now, as the world grapples with social distancing, we ask former Big Brother housemates Craig Phillips, Kate Lawler, Nikki Grahame and "Nasty" Nick Bateman for their tips on surviving coronavirus lockdown.
Craig Phillips - BB1: First UK Big Brother winner
Does the lockdown feel like being back in Big Brother?
I keep thinking that, now we're all self-contained and can't go out. When we were in the house we just wanted to see our friends, see our family and get out of the four walls. It was really pressurised, certainly after 64 days locked in there. The Big Brother house looked bigger on TV than it actually was and we couldn't open the front door and had no windows to look out of. We could look in the garden, of course, through the patio doors, but no window to look outside and see what was going on in the real world. At least now we can go out for a walk in the park or to the shops.
What about the challenge of being trapped with other people?
We were in there with people we didn't really want to be in there with. I remember the psychiatrist saying to me before we went into the house, "You know, Craig, if you were put in this environment with your best friends and your family, you're still going to fall out".
It forced us to make friends because most of the people in there I generally wouldn't have hung around with. We became friends because of the circumstances of living in the house. I've stayed friends with a few and even went to visit Nick in Australia [where he now lives].
Image: Craig with BB1 runners up Darren Ramsey and Anna Nolan
That moment in Big Brother where you confronted Nick about cheating has gone down in history. Would you recommend being frank with those you're stuck inside with?
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It had been heating up for a day and a half in the Big Brother house over Nick writing people's names down and trying to manipulate us to vote for each other. It was building up tension in the house and I was getting wound up myself. I'm quite calm and patient and can normally detach myself from a situation and look at it from a different angle.
I suggested we all sleep on it, then sit down the next day and talk about it around the table. I was fuming at Nick, but I was relatively polite and professional - I even made him a cup of tea. It didn't go too well for Nick on the day. Nick was a cheat, he was doing wrong, so he had to be confronted for it and pay the price, which was to be chucked out of the house.
I think for people living at home now, it's going to be testing for relationships too. I think if people are having issues, having this lockdown is going to magnify them. My advice would be to keep busy doing DIY; you can work in one room and your partner can work in the other. And when you do your daily exercise, go in different directions…
What did you do to stay sane in the Big Brother house?
Something I did a lot was try to keep myself fit. We didn't have any weights or anything like that, so I got tins of beans and spaghetti and put them all inside pillowcases and did bench presses, shoulder presses, squats and lateral raises. I improvised to make weights and to try to keep my body strong, because I think if your body's strong, your mind can be a lot stronger.
Image: Craig has been keeping busy with wife Laura, daughter Nelly and bulldog Sydney
How are you and your family coping with the lockdown?
I fell out with lots of my friends and family because 10 days before lockdown, we started self-isolating. Nelly was our priority. I'd only go out to the shops wearing a mask and gloves and everyone would move out of my way. Now everyone's wearing them.
I think being in Big Brother has made me more disciplined and able to cope with lockdown, as well as being told what to do. It also taught me how to live on basics - we were only given £1.50 per day for food, so we had to be very selective about what we bought and how to make the most of it. That's useful now we're economising and thinking about what we can freeze to give us two or three meals for later in the week.
Have you got a routine?
Yes, I think it's important to have a good structure. We made a list. I'll get up with the baby, tinker around for two or three hours, go for our dog walk, then put the baby for a nap and go in the office and get on the computer and do some emails. Every day feels like a Sunday.
How else are you keeping busy?
We built a new house and moved in a week before the baby was born. It's been a bit of a labour of love this last 12 months, dipping in and out and finishing off loads of little tasks. Now I'm housebound the list has got bigger and bigger, putting a fence in here and tiling there.
We're trying to create a structure to keep us busy and motivated. I think if you just get up and sit around and watch TV and Netflix you turn into a bit of a slob. Now, we all deserve a bit of time being a slob when we've worked hard, but I think it's dangerous if several weeks in you're still sitting in your pyjamas at 4 o'clock and watching the TV.
So what can people do to make themselves feel better?
My background is DIY and we're trying to encourage people to do home improvements while they've got the time. If you've got some tools, some things don't need materials. You can just get out and fix and maintain things. It makes your house a more enjoyable place to be around; if you're looking at the four walls and they're looking a bit shabby, paint them up and make it feel brighter and you'll make yourself feel better too.
How much did your life change after Big Brother?
My life changed overnight. I went into that house just normal Craig from the building site and came out a household name. I remember coming out of the house and I was raced away by police and bodyguards, it was terrifying. You got taken to a hotel, and I didn't end up going home for 97 days, right the way up to Christmas.
Do you think the world will change after coronavirus?
I think it will make everybody learn a lot about themselves and respect their freedom a little bit more. We've got it easy in England and we still moan about it, so I think it will help put things in perspective. Most of all, lockdown teaches you to enjoy the real things that matter most, like friends and family and your house around you.
Kate Lawler - BB3: First UK female winner
How do you entertain yourself while stuck in a house?
In Big Brother we didn't have phones, we didn't have books, we didn't have TV and we couldn't watch films. But we did have a garden, which made it a hell of a lot easier. We survived by making our own fun, which I guess is similar to now, because we can't go out at the weekend to the pub, or to a restaurant, or see our mates.
In Big Brother, I think I remember us playing hide and seek, which was ridiculous because it was just a house and we were hiding in really obvious places.
How do you cope with not knowing how long lockdown is going to last?
In Big Brother, you knew that you had 12 weeks, and it was summer, and ultimately it was a bit of a doss and you were potentially going to win some money at the end of it. But now, we could be in this lockdown for three weeks, or three months, or six months… we just have no idea.
I'm sure if everybody was being told to lock down and the person who stayed indoors the longest would win £70,000, everybody would be willing to comply a lot more.
Image: The Big Brother 3 contestants pictured before entering the house in 2003
Did you lose track of time stuck in a house for weeks on end?
The only day you were ever aware of what day it is was when there was an eviction. Friday night was eviction night. You do lose track of time, especially as we didn't have watches, but that felt quite liberating.
I think because of everything they made us do in there, time went more quickly. If we weren't playing games or doing challenges they'd say to us, "Tidy the house, it's a s***hole", and we'd have to tidy it up, because so many people in the house didn't pull their weight - me included.
Is keeping busy the key?
Personally, I think it's important to establish a routine. I think getting up at the same time and even if you don't shower, just splash water on your face and brush your teeth and get dressed. If you can just do that it will probably make you feel better than just sitting in your pyjamas all day.
But also, there's loads of advice being given, like, "Oh, read a book, learn a new language, let's play a musical instrument". I think it's important to make people feel like it's fine if they don't have a productive day every now and then, if they're not motivated to work, because we are in a global health crisis. It's understandable if you are feeling a bit nervous and a bit demotivated.
Image: Kate lives with her fiance, Martin
Is there a trick to getting on with people you're stuck inside with?
If you live with someone and you spend 24 hours a day with that person, you're going to get annoyed with each other. And you did get annoyed at each other [in Big Brother]. But people would try to keep a lid on their emotions because they were being filmed and because they didn't want to get nominated or voted out.
Now, you want to keep a lid on your emotions and you don't want to argue because it's not a nice feeling. You just have to try and make the best of a bad situation.
Is it easy to fall into a trap of eating and drinking too much?
I was such a binge drinker in Big Brother. I didn't even know what cider was when I went in. I'd never drunk it before, had no idea of the calories because they took all the labels off everything and I was drinking cider, blackcurrant and lager. Is that a Snake Bite? We were drinking that every night, and this was before Big Brother limited the amount of alcohol you could drink each night, it was before all the fights happened [in later series]. So, we drank every night and I came out of Big Brother two stone heavier than I went in.
In contrast, I am probably eating healthier now than I've ever eaten before and I've done more exercise in the past two weeks than I've done since the beginning of the year.
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How do you cope with missing friends and family?
In Big Brother, it was 12 weeks apart, but I always knew each Friday that I might be seeing my family that week. So that kind of got you through. But now I'm really missing my family. I've got a new niece and I've not met her yet and I might not meet her for months. But I've got to be grateful for things like FaceTime and photos and videos, which I'm getting on a daily basis.
Me and my twin sister are going to be 40 next month too, but we're probably going to have to spend our birthdays indoors. For now, we're just seeing each other online. And me and Martin [Kate's fiance] have been playing board games and having little kitchen raves with our dogs.
Any new lockdown hobbies up your sleeve?
I've given myself a haircut. It was really easy, I got the scissors and just went for it. I mean, it's not the best haircut, it's not going to win me any awards, but I managed to do it and it doesn't look too bad. It's the roots I'm going to struggle with because I was just about to get my roots done before lockdown was announced, so my hair is looking really bad.
Nikki Grahame - BB7: First housemate ever to be voted back into the house
How are you finding lockdown?
It feels like a zombie apocalypse film…
How are you keeping busy?
I've been doing colour-by-number books, which are really relaxing and therapeutic, and I'm reading The Da Vinci Code, which is a big book to keep me busy. I've ordered a couple of jigsaws, which is a good way to tune out, too. I've got a very clean flat as well because I've been busy cleaning the cupboards out. I've got crafty too, and made a hanging bird treat from a loo roll, peanut butter and bird seed.
Have you learned any new skills?
I'm studying teaching, it felt like a great time to do that. And once this is all over it's a skill I can use to travel the world.
Image: Nikki with Big Brother presenter Davina McCall
You live in a flat, does that feel restrictive?
People have been sharing memes of me in Big Brother saying how much I hate being stuck inside, it's really funny.
But here at home, I've invested in a cross-trainer. It's the most fantastic thing I've ever bought myself, it's my new best friend. Even if they tighten the restrictions at least I have that. I've set it up in my living room in front of the TV. I get cabin fever, so I've been using the trainer and going for my hour walks to clear the cobwebs away.
Image: Nikki made a hanging treat for the birds from a loo roll
Are you missing friends and family?
I miss my close friends very much and we've been calling a lot, but I haven't used Zoom or Houseparty because I felt self-conscious about putting make-up on and I felt obliged to do it for a video call. I do have days where I put make-up on, but other days I can't be bothered. I'm close with some of my neighbours too and see them sometimes when I'm taking my exercise walking in the park.
Have you tried to establish a lockdown routine?
In the Big Brother house you lost track of time a lot and you'd forget what day it was. Now I'm trying to stick to a schedule to give me routine. I've managed to keep my bedtime about the same but I have been waking up at strange hours.
You're self-isolating alone, does that make it tougher than Big Brother?
Yes! It's always great to have other people around because I'm such a nosy person, and I love peeking my beak in other people's business. When there are other people around there's always another conversation to earwig on, I just love it. I find it very satisfying.
Anything else you're finding hard?
The thing I'm not enjoying is queuing, it's very irritating. At the best of times I hate queuing, I don't do it. So when I'm forced… I queued for 45 minutes in Waitrose the other day and I just lost the will... they didn't even have what I wanted.
Image: Nikki wasn't a fan of scrubbing in BB3, but has been spring cleaning in lockdown
Did you learn any tips for getting on with other people in Big Brother?
You just have to learn how to handle people and try not to push their buttons. Sometimes play dumb and go along with what they're saying to keep the peace. In the house I learned to work out when people would be in the kitchen, when they'd be in the toilet and try to avoid them to avoid confrontation. But at the same, you shouldn't be a pushover.
In Big Brother you were famous for your outbursts. Did speaking your mind in the house help you survive?
Definitely. A lot of people think I'm a pushover and not that smart, but I am very smart.
Image: Nikki goes for a daily walk in the park to 'clear the cobwebs away'
Did going on Big Brother change you?
Big Brother made me more grounded. I often wonder what I'd be doing now without it… And I'd love to do it again - Big Brother Australia would be amazing.
"Nasty" Nick Bateman - BB1: The first person ever to be ejected from the house
What are your tips for staying sane while stuck in a house?
Step outside and count the stars or clouds, depending on the time of day. Or go for a bath or a shower. You need your own zone, especially with others around.
You were in Big Brother with nine other people, is it tougher to be in lockdown on your own or with others?
Lockdown in the 21st century with the internet is a lot easier... I have a large family and I went to a boarding school, so I am used to having people around.
Image: Nick was the first person to be expelled from the house
What are you doing to stay healthy?
We're in partial lockdown here in Sydney, Australia, so we are allowed out, and can walk and take a drive. Walking twice a day for an hour will clear your head.
Psychologically, is structure important?
You fall into a routine, and there is always something you can do - cleaning, cooking or playing cards.
Image: Nick says he's trying to swap the booze for tea now
Have you got a routine?
To keep you motivated, it is essential, you must keep normal going-to-bed and waking hours.
Is it hard not to eat and drink too much when stuck inside?
I am terrible. If it is there, I will eat it. I had six Creme Eggs yesterday, my plan was one a day. I am drinking, but more tea and less booze now.
You were never nominated for eviction while in the Big Brother house, how did you manage that?
Everyone is going to at some stage push the wrong buttons; it is about managing triggers and smiling and biting your tongue, if you have any tongue left.
Although, your most famous moment was a confrontation with Craig…
Confrontation is good for reality TV shows, but in lockdown, I would avoid it.
What about saying sorry if you're in the wrong?
Sorry is a powerful word to use when you are wrong.
How are you finding being stuck inside?
Our lockdown is not as severe as the UK, but our beaches and pubs are closed, which is like the end of the world here. And I don't think we closed our borders soon enough.
Have you picked up any new skills in lockdown?
I am playing this quiz on Facebook you can play against people globally and an online golf game, which is killing a lot of time, plus binge series watching on my laptop.
What are you watching?
Dublin Murders, Tin Star, The Fall, Line Of Duty, Stateless, The Killing, Blood, The Capture and Mexican prison drama The Inmate.
Lots of people are saying coronavirus will change the way the world works, do you think it will?
Perhaps with more cleaning of hands (which you should do regardless of COVID-19) there might be less gastroenteritis and flu in the future.
If Big Brother returned, would you do it again?
Never say never…


news--2020-04-11--Coronavirus: Priti Patel unveils more help for domestic abuse victims in virus lockdown

The home secretary has launched a new campaign telling people experiencing domestic abuse or who are at risk of it during the coronavirus lockdown that help is available to them .
Speaking for the first time at a government daily briefing on the virus , Priti Patel said the Home Office is working with charities to provide an extra £2m for domestic abuse helplines and online support .
There has been a 25 % rise in phone calls to the National Domestic Abuse Helpline in the lockdown , according to the support charity Refuge .
The organisation reported the increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March , seven days after Prime Minister Boris Johnson introduced significant restrictions on the movement of people in the UK .
Refuge also said visits to their website , nationaldahelpline.org.uk , in that same period had gone up by 150 % compared with the last week in February .
The campaign , using the social media hashtag # YouAreNotAlone , aims to reassure those affected by domestic abuse that support services remain available during this difficult time .
It will also encourage members of the public to show support for victims by sharing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a heart on their palm .
Ms Patel said : `` Coronavirus has opened Britain 's enormous heart and shown our love and compassion for one another as we come together to help those most in need .
`` I am now asking this nation to use that amazing compassion and community spirit to embrace those trapped in the horrific cycle of abuse .
`` And to help us all look out for those who need help , we have created a symbol of hope - a handprint with a heart on - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we will not tolerate abuse as a society , and that we stand in solidarity with victims of domestic abuse . ''
The chief executive of Refuge , Sandra Horley , has said self-isolation has the potential to `` aggravate pre-existing abuse behaviours '' by abusers .
`` While in lockdown or self-isolation , women and children are likely to be spending concentrated periods of time with perpetrators , potentially escalating the threat of domestic abuse and further restricting their freedom . ''
She also said : `` What is needed now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every woman experiencing domestic abuse is aware of the confidential support available .
`` We hope the Government 's campaign will reach the tens of thousands of people experiencing domestic abuse , helping send the message - you are not alone . ''
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Ms Patel 's announcement follows Chancellor Rishi Sunak 's £750m boost to the charity sector , which will benefit domestic abuse charities , to support the most vulnerable in our society .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and supporting vulnerable people during the COVID-19 crisis .

The home secretary has launched a new campaign telling people experiencing domestic abuse or who are at risk of it during the coronavirus lockdown that help is available to them.
Speaking for the first time at a government daily briefing on the virus, Priti Patel said the Home Office is working with charities to provide an extra £2m for domestic abuse helplines and online support.
There has been a 25% rise in phone calls to the National Domestic Abuse Helpline in the lockdown, according to the support charity Refuge.
The organisation reported the increase in calls during the week beginning 30 March, seven days after Prime Minister Boris Johnson introduced significant restrictions on the movement of people in the UK.
Refuge also said visits to their website, nationaldahelpline.org.uk, in that same period had gone up by 150% compared with the last week in February.
The campaign, using the social media hashtag #YouAreNotAlone, aims to reassure those affected by domestic abuse that support services remain available during this difficult time.
It will also encourage members of the public to show support for victims by sharing government digital content or a photo of a heart on their palm.
Image: The charity Refuge says domestic abuse can be physical and psychological
Ms Patel said: "Coronavirus has opened Britain's enormous heart and shown our love and compassion for one another as we come together to help those most in need.
"I am now asking this nation to use that amazing compassion and community spirit to embrace those trapped in the horrific cycle of abuse.
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"And to help us all look out for those who need help, we have created a symbol of hope - a handprint with a heart on - so that people can easily show that we will not tolerate abuse as a society, and that we stand in solidarity with victims of domestic abuse."
The chief executive of Refuge, Sandra Horley, has said self-isolation has the potential to "aggravate pre-existing abuse behaviours" by abusers.
"While in lockdown or self-isolation, women and children are likely to be spending concentrated periods of time with perpetrators, potentially escalating the threat of domestic abuse and further restricting their freedom."
She also said: "What is needed now, more than ever, is to ensure every woman experiencing domestic abuse is aware of the confidential support available.
"We hope the Government's campaign will reach the tens of thousands of people experiencing domestic abuse, helping send the message - you are not alone."
:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Ms Patel's announcement follows Chancellor Rishi Sunak's £750m boost to the charity sector, which will benefit domestic abuse charities, to support the most vulnerable in our society.
The funding will support charities providing key services and supporting vulnerable people during the COVID-19 crisis.
:: The freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline number is 0808 2000 247.


news--2020-04-11--Coronavirus: Brazil's president rejects COVID-19 as a 'little flu' and ignores distancing rules

Brazil 's President Jair Bolsonaro has snubbed the advice of health experts over coronavirus as he took to the streets to greet members of the public .
The 65-year-old right-wing leader has compared COVID-19 to a `` little flu '' and publicly attacked state governors in his country who have introduced quarantine measures .
On Friday , a national holiday in Brazil , Mr Bolsonaro ignored social distancing guidelines as he went to a military hospital , before stopping at a pharmacy and then visiting one of his sons in a residential building .
At one of the stops , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photos and called his name .
However , he was also subjected to criticism , with some residents in Brasilia banging pots and pans in anger .
More than 1,000 people have died from coronavirus in Brazil , with close to 20,000 confirmed cases , according to Johns Hopkins University , which is tracking the outbreak .
Mr Bolsonaro has increasingly isolated himself politically by maintaining that jobs and the economy must prevail and that Brazil `` can not stop '' .
His popularity has fallen during the coronavirus crisis , with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stance .
His message and public appearances during the pandemic are at odds with recommendations from Brazil 's health minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta .
The minister has garnered support among Brazilians with daily updates on the coronavirus , filled with technical details , best practices and recommendations from authorities such as the World Health Organisation .
On Friday , it was confirmed that a teenager from an indigenous tribe had died after contracting coronavirus in Brazil , raising fears about the spread of the virus into protected lands .
The 15-year-old , from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , had been in an intensive care unit since 3 April , according to Brazil 's health ministry .
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker It said COVID-19 was the cause of the boy 's death , and he was the first resident of an indigenous territory in Brazil to succumb to the disease .
Indigenous people within protected territories have their own public healthcare provider , Sesai , which has created a `` crisis cabinet '' to oversee handling of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sesai had reported six cases of COVID-19 among indigenous people .

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has snubbed the advice of health experts over coronavirus as he took to the streets to greet members of the public.
The 65-year-old right-wing leader has compared COVID-19 to a "little flu" and publicly attacked state governors in his country who have introduced quarantine measures.
On Friday, a national holiday in Brazil, Mr Bolsonaro ignored social distancing guidelines as he went to a military hospital, before stopping at a pharmacy and then visiting one of his sons in a residential building.
Image: Brazil's president has compared coronavirus to a 'little flu'
At one of the stops, he was greeted by supporters who snapped photos and called his name.
However, he was also subjected to criticism, with some residents in Brasilia banging pots and pans in anger.
More than 1,000 people have died from coronavirus in Brazil, with close to 20,000 confirmed cases, according to Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the outbreak.
Mr Bolsonaro has increasingly isolated himself politically by maintaining that jobs and the economy must prevail and that Brazil "cannot stop".
His popularity has fallen during the coronavirus crisis, with a growing number of Brazilians angered by his stance.
Image: Mr Bolsonaro has increasingly isolated himself politically over coronavirus
His message and public appearances during the pandemic are at odds with recommendations from Brazil's health minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta.
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The minister has garnered support among Brazilians with daily updates on the coronavirus, filled with technical details, best practices and recommendations from authorities such as the World Health Organisation.
Image: Mr Bolsonaro posed for pictures with workers at a pharmacy in Brasilia
On Friday, it was confirmed that a teenager from an indigenous tribe had died after contracting coronavirus in Brazil, raising fears about the spread of the virus into protected lands.
The 15-year-old, from a village within the Yanomami indigenous territory, had been in an intensive care unit since 3 April, according to Brazil's health ministry.
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:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
It said COVID-19 was the cause of the boy's death, and he was the first resident of an indigenous territory in Brazil to succumb to the disease.
Indigenous people within protected territories have their own public healthcare provider, Sesai, which has created a "crisis cabinet" to oversee handling of the virus response.
As of 8 April, Sesai had reported six cases of COVID-19 among indigenous people.


news--2020-03-16--Coronavirus: NHS doctor warns 'a colleague is looking after several patients under 40'

An NHS anaesthetist who is on the frontline in the fight against the coronavirus has spoken anonymously to Sky News .
It is difficult to know where to start describing what is happening in UK hospitals right now .
Maybe the most stark is that plans are being drawn up for what to do when we run out of oxygen .
Oxygen is piped through the walls , so when the supply is interrupted it is like turning a tap on and finding you have run out of water .
It does n't happen .
It has never happened .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ little as two weeks ago my hospital was eerily quiet , with many patients avoiding the place .
Now they are coming in quickly .
We have well over 50 cases as of the weekend and our intensive care is nearly full of coronavirus patients on breathing support machines .
One patient is sent for ECMO ( extracorporeal membrane oxygenation ) at another hospital - a kind of bypass where a machine injects oxygen into the blood because the lungs have become too damaged to sustain life even on a ventilator .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capable of providing this service and they are very quickly filled .
Patients are not put onto this kind of life support unless they were fit and healthy before their illness .
Requiring this treatment means you are as sick as it is possible to be and it takes an awful lot of time , resources and biological resilience to recover .
Essentially , ECMO buys your body time to recover from illness itself .
It is simply not true that only the very elderly who we can imagine `` would have died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have looked after more than one patient who is in their early 60s with minor or no health complaints and who exercises regularly .
They are not your grandparents .
They are your colleague , your boss , your Pilates buddy .
They are people very much still contributing to society who would perform well on any standard measure of fitness .
I want you to know that young people can and do become critically unwell and die from COVID-19 .
A colleague of mine is currently looking after several patients under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ventilators .
We know from other countries that most of these younger patients will survive .
But they will take a long time to recover - often in a hospital .
The impact of a sudden influx of coronavirus patients affects all parts of the health system .
Last week I looked after an intensive care patient who needed to go to see a specialist in another hospital .
The patient was accepted by the specialist , but there was no intensive care bed for him to go to because it is now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intensive care unit normally serves the whole of my area of the country .
For the next few months that service no longer exists .
The same is true of the life-saving operations that patients are normally admitted there for : cardiac bypass grafting , aortic aneurysm repairs .
Operations have , rightly , been postponed to free up staff and beds .
My patient as it turned out , could be treated without transfer on this occasion but their situation is not unique .
Two elderly patients in my hospital went directly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when ordinarily they would have gone to intensive care for close monitoring alongside a dedicated nurse .
This level of care is no longer possible .
Much of the impact of coronavirus is sadly unavoidable .
Whichever model of spread the government chooses to adopt , we will be overwhelmed .
However , the coronavirus mortality rate is not fixed , it exists within the context of a healthcare system and a population and has varied up to sevenfold in different countries .
Many factors can explain this but what is within our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ above our health system 's capacity .
In the UK , there is already no slack in the system .
We have half the number of intensive care beds per head of population as Italy and intensive care beds run at capacity year-round , so much so that lack of a bed is a common reason for on-the-day surgery cancellations .
The fear among my colleagues is that without any nationally led efforts to curb the spread of the virus , too many people will get COVID-19 at the same time and our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is those patients in their 30s to 60s , who with the right care are capable of surviving , that will be failed by a system that can not accommodate them .
This does not even account for the patients of all ages with all manner of medical needs whose care has been put on hold to make way for coronavirus .
We are urgently planning alternatives to our acute heart attack and stroke networks as well as emergency surgery like broken limbs which can wait but really should n't .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ space , and we need the surgeons as intensive care doctors .
This is the data that we do not yet have from China and Italy , the inevitable background increase in deaths from all causes .
I am seeing alarming and unprecedented changes to care .
Coronavirus is going to have a dramatic and sustained impact whatever we do .
Please do not think that you or your healthy loved ones will be unaffected .
Yes , most people will not be nearly as unwell as the patients I have described .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ We on the front line are doing all we can within a system already stretched to breaking point .
We are planning for when the oxygen runs out , ordering more ventilators , more infusion pumps and more of the masks and gowns to protect ourselves , which seem to be dwindling every shift .
But we can only make a difference if everyone else does their bit too , by limiting their social contact and slowing down the spread .
Your surgery may be delayed , you may not be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few months and you may know someone you did n't think was frail at all fighting for their life with COVID-19 .
But please do your best .
Remind yourself that the quality of the care we deliver to those with and without coronavirus will be directly influenced by the number of people who get sick at the same time .
I do not just worry for the very frail and the elderly , I worry for the slightly older but ultimately fit people who could get better , but only with the @ @ @

An NHS anaesthetist who is on the frontline in the fight against the coronavirus has spoken anonymously to Sky News.
It is difficult to know where to start describing what is happening in UK hospitals right now. Maybe the most stark is that plans are being drawn up for what to do when we run out of oxygen.
Oxygen is piped through the walls, so when the supply is interrupted it is like turning a tap on and finding you have run out of water.
It doesn't happen. It has never happened. Until it happened in Italy.
As little as two weeks ago my hospital was eerily quiet, with many patients avoiding the place. Now they are coming in quickly.
We have well over 50 cases as of the weekend and our intensive care is nearly full of coronavirus patients on breathing support machines.
One patient is sent for ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) at another hospital - a kind of bypass where a machine injects oxygen into the blood because the lungs have become too damaged to sustain life even on a ventilator.
We have just five centres in the UK capable of providing this service and they are very quickly filled.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:28 Why doesn't the UK have enough ventilators?
Patients are not put onto this kind of life support unless they were fit and healthy before their illness.
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Requiring this treatment means you are as sick as it is possible to be and it takes an awful lot of time, resources and biological resilience to recover. Essentially, ECMO buys your body time to recover from illness itself.
It is simply not true that only the very elderly who we can imagine "would have died soon anyway" will get sick.
I have looked after more than one patient who is in their early 60s with minor or no health complaints and who exercises regularly.
Image: Older people and those with underlying health conditions are at most risk
They are not your grandparents. They are your colleague, your boss, your Pilates buddy. They are people very much still contributing to society who would perform well on any standard measure of fitness.
I want you to know that young people can and do become critically unwell and die from COVID-19. A colleague of mine is currently looking after several patients under the age of 40, all on ventilators.
We know from other countries that most of these younger patients will survive. But they will take a long time to recover - often in a hospital.
The impact of a sudden influx of coronavirus patients affects all parts of the health system.
Last week I looked after an intensive care patient who needed to go to see a specialist in another hospital. The patient was accepted by the specialist, but there was no intensive care bed for him to go to because it is now exclusively for coronavirus patients.
This specific intensive care unit normally serves the whole of my area of the country. For the next few months that service no longer exists.
The same is true of the life-saving operations that patients are normally admitted there for: cardiac bypass grafting, aortic aneurysm repairs.
Operations have, rightly, been postponed to free up staff and beds. My patient as it turned out, could be treated without transfer on this occasion but their situation is not unique.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:19 'UK is science-led not populist'
Two elderly patients in my hospital went directly to the ward after major emergency surgery when ordinarily they would have gone to intensive care for close monitoring alongside a dedicated nurse. This level of care is no longer possible.
Much of the impact of coronavirus is sadly unavoidable. Whichever model of spread the government chooses to adopt, we will be overwhelmed.
However, the coronavirus mortality rate is not fixed, it exists within the context of a healthcare system and a population and has varied up to sevenfold in different countries.
Many factors can explain this but what is within our control is limiting sharp spikes in cases above our health system's capacity.
In the UK, there is already no slack in the system. We have half the number of intensive care beds per head of population as Italy and intensive care beds run at capacity year-round, so much so that lack of a bed is a common reason for on-the-day surgery cancellations.
The fear among my colleagues is that without any nationally led efforts to curb the spread of the virus, too many people will get COVID-19 at the same time and our limited resources will be rapidly depleted.
It is those patients in their 30s to 60s, who with the right care are capable of surviving, that will be failed by a system that cannot accommodate them.
This does not even account for the patients of all ages with all manner of medical needs whose care has been put on hold to make way for coronavirus.
We are urgently planning alternatives to our acute heart attack and stroke networks as well as emergency surgery like broken limbs which can wait but really shouldn't.
We need the operating theatres as intensive care space, and we need the surgeons as intensive care doctors.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:44 'We need answers and plans now' - doctors' union chief
This is the data that we do not yet have from China and Italy, the inevitable background increase in deaths from all causes.
I am seeing alarming and unprecedented changes to care.
Coronavirus is going to have a dramatic and sustained impact whatever we do. Please do not think that you or your healthy loved ones will be unaffected.
Yes, most people will not be nearly as unwell as the patients I have described. But it will affect us all. We on the front line are doing all we can within a system already stretched to breaking point.
We are planning for when the oxygen runs out, ordering more ventilators, more infusion pumps and more of the masks and gowns to protect ourselves, which seem to be dwindling every shift.
But we can only make a difference if everyone else does their bit too, by limiting their social contact and slowing down the spread.
Your surgery may be delayed, you may not be able to see your GP in person for a few months and you may know someone you didn't think was frail at all fighting for their life with COVID-19. But please do your best.
Remind yourself that the quality of the care we deliver to those with and without coronavirus will be directly influenced by the number of people who get sick at the same time.
I do not just worry for the very frail and the elderly, I worry for the slightly older but ultimately fit people who could get better, but only with the right care.


news--2020-03-16--Coronavirus: Should I cancel my destination wedding, stag or hen do?

Flight cancellations , closed borders and bans on mass gatherings have put a spanner in the works for those with upcoming destination weddings and holidays abroad .
Aside from the immediate issues relating to logistics and planning , there are also fears of elderly and vulnerable guests putting themselves at risk of contracting coronavirus just to be present for the big day .
So should you be cancelling your wedding in a virus-hit country ?
And what about destination hen and stag parties , and holidays , too ?
Make a note of your final times to cancel The spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of uncertainty about what the landscape will look like in the next few weeks - and even months .
To avoid making any decisions that may eventually be unnecessary , SmartFlyer luxury travel adviser Lesley Cohen says planners should note in their calendars any cancellation deadlines that could save you a deposit .
`` Do n't do anything without speaking to your insurance company , '' Bernadette Chapman , the founder of the UK Wedding Planners Alliance , told planning site Hitched .
She said : `` If you decide to cancel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treating that as a straightforward cancellation , so do check the terms and conditions before doing so . ''
Ms Chapman also said such cancellations due to fears of COVID-19 would unlikely be covered by insurance companies , of which many have recently suspended giving out new policies to couples wanting to protect their wedding day .
`` Speak with a lawyer or your insurers if you are unsure , '' she added .
If you are going on holiday and have booked a package deal , you should be protected by ABTA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to either postpone or get a refund .
For those who have booked elements separately - which is also relevant to those getting married - many companies are now offering an option to reschedule plans at a later date .
Rory Boland , the editor of Which ?
Travel , said : `` Thanks to increased flexibility being offered by airlines and travel operators during the crisis , passengers are likely to be given the option to rebook for a later date , or claim a refund . ''
But for those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said it 's important `` not to jump the gun and cancel your plans too far in advance . ''
He added : `` You wo n't automatically be due rebooking or a refund if you cancel when travel is still weeks away . ''
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Check the travel advice for the country you are travelling to Whether you 're getting married , going on holiday or celebrating your stag and hen dos , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for your destination before you go .
So far , the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has issued a travel warning against visiting the following countries due to COVID-19 : FCO has also advised against all travel to the following : Argentina , Albania , Burma , Czech Republic , Dominican Republic , Ecuador , Equatorial Guinea , Estonia , Guatemala , Honduras , Jamaica , Kosovo , Latvia , Liberia , Lithuania , Malawi , Malta , Morocco , Mongolia , Paraguay , Peru , Philippines , San Marino , Sierra Leone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Travellers are also advised against travelling to Madeira and the Azores in Portugal and the South Korean cities of Daegu , Cheongdo and Gyeongsan .
Jay Broughton , the managing director of Funktion Events , told Bride Magazine that planners must consider whether `` the group as a whole is prepared to travel first . ''
He added : `` Make sure you and everyone in your group keep up to date with all the travel advice and Government information and ensure everyone in your group has travel insurance .
`` This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within the UK or overseas , but you definitely want to be covered if you need to cancel your hen/stag weekend due to self-isolation or travel restrictions coming into effect . ''
Is it safe for guests or are there alternatives ?
If you have n't taken the decision to cancel you trip , and all travel plans appear to be going ahead , the final piece is to make sure your destination is prepared .
Speaking about weddings , Ms Chapman said : `` Contact all of your suppliers and venue and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety measures in place .
`` Have they put restrictions on staff travel , for example ?
Will you have confirmation that no-one working on your wedding day will have been to an infected country within 14 days of your wedding ? ''
Meanwhile , you could consider alternatives for your more vulnerable guests - something celebrant Deborah Page has considered by offering recording and livestreaming of her ceremonies .
`` Currently , I will not be cancelling any ceremonies from a celebrant perspective .
If you have guests who are unable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or other related issues , I will explore live streaming and recording your ceremony with you , '' she told Bride magazine .
`` I know it 's not quite the same , but we will do what we can to help them feel as much a part of your special day as is possible . ''
Sky News will broadcast a special programme at 6pm , with experts answering your questions # AskSkyNews at 12.30pm .

Flight cancellations, closed borders and bans on mass gatherings have put a spanner in the works for those with upcoming destination weddings and holidays abroad.
Aside from the immediate issues relating to logistics and planning, there are also fears of elderly and vulnerable guests putting themselves at risk of contracting coronavirus just to be present for the big day.
So should you be cancelling your wedding in a virus-hit country? And what about destination hen and stag parties, and holidays, too?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:50 New York's mayor has ordered restaurants, bars and cafes to only sell food on a takeaway or delivery basis
Make a note of your final times to cancel
The spread of COVID-19 has led to a lot of uncertainty about what the landscape will look like in the next few weeks - and even months.
To avoid making any decisions that may eventually be unnecessary, SmartFlyer luxury travel adviser Lesley Cohen says planners should note in their calendars any cancellation deadlines that could save you a deposit.
Check your insurance
"Don't do anything without speaking to your insurance company," Bernadette Chapman, the founder of the UK Wedding Planners Alliance, told planning site Hitched.
She said: "If you decide to cancel, your wedding suppliers and venues will be treating that as a straightforward cancellation, so do check the terms and conditions before doing so."
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Ms Chapman also said such cancellations due to fears of COVID-19 would unlikely be covered by insurance companies, of which many have recently suspended giving out new policies to couples wanting to protect their wedding day.
"Speak with a lawyer or your insurers if you are unsure," she added.
Consider postponing
If you are going on holiday and have booked a package deal, you should be protected by ABTA or ATOL. This would allow you to either postpone or get a refund.
For those who have booked elements separately - which is also relevant to those getting married - many companies are now offering an option to reschedule plans at a later date.
Rory Boland, the editor of Which? Travel, said: "Thanks to increased flexibility being offered by airlines and travel operators during the crisis, passengers are likely to be given the option to rebook for a later date, or claim a refund."
But for those who are travelling in the next few months, he said it's important "not to jump the gun and cancel your plans too far in advance."
He added: "You won't automatically be due rebooking or a refund if you cancel when travel is still weeks away."
:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Check the travel advice for the country you are travelling to
Whether you're getting married, going on holiday or celebrating your stag and hen dos, you should check the government's travel advice for your destination before you go.
So far, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has issued a travel warning against visiting the following countries due to COVID-19:
China
USA
Italy
Spain
Denmark
Norway
Indonesia
Poland
Kenya
Cyprus
South Africa
FCO has also advised against all travel to the following: Argentina, Albania, Burma, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Kosovo, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania, Malawi, Malta, Morocco, Mongolia, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, San Marino, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.
Travellers are also advised against travelling to Madeira and the Azores in Portugal and the South Korean cities of Daegu, Cheongdo and Gyeongsan.
Jay Broughton, the managing director of Funktion Events, told Bride Magazine that planners must consider whether "the group as a whole is prepared to travel first."
He added: "Make sure you and everyone in your group keep up to date with all the travel advice and Government information and ensure everyone in your group has travel insurance.
"This is vital to any form of travelling within the UK or overseas, but you definitely want to be covered if you need to cancel your hen/stag weekend due to self-isolation or travel restrictions coming into effect."
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:10 Dutch queue for cannabis before lockdown
Is it safe for guests or are there alternatives?
If you haven't taken the decision to cancel you trip, and all travel plans appear to be going ahead, the final piece is to make sure your destination is prepared.
Speaking about weddings, Ms Chapman said: "Contact all of your suppliers and venue and ask if they have additional health and safety measures in place.
"Have they put restrictions on staff travel, for example? Will you have confirmation that no-one working on your wedding day will have been to an infected country within 14 days of your wedding?"
Meanwhile, you could consider alternatives for your more vulnerable guests - something celebrant Deborah Page has considered by offering recording and livestreaming of her ceremonies.
"Currently, I will not be cancelling any ceremonies from a celebrant perspective. If you have guests who are unable to attend your ceremony because of travel restrictions or other related issues, I will explore live streaming and recording your ceremony with you," she told Bride magazine.
"I know it's not quite the same, but we will do what we can to help them feel as much a part of your special day as is possible."
Sky News will broadcast a special programme at 6pm, with experts answering your questions #AskSkyNews at 12.30pm.


news--2020-03-16--Coronavirus: 55 people have now died in UK after testing positive for COVID-19

A total of 55 people in the UK have now died after testing positive for the coronavirus , Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said .
This is a rise of 19 deaths in a 24-hour period .
Making the announcement in the House of Commons , Health Secretary Matt Hancock called the coronavirus pandemic `` the most serious public health emergency that our nation has faced for a generation '' .
Mr Hancock said : `` Our goal is to protect life .
Our actions have meant that the spread of the virus has been slowed in the UK and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials at Public Health England and the NHS for their exemplary approach to contact tracing and their work so far .
`` However , the disease is now accelerating and 53 have sadly now died .
Our hearts across this whole house go out to their families . ''
The announcement came after two more deaths - one each - in Wales and Scotland .
Earlier in the day , the Department of Health announced that as of 9am on Monday , the number of UK coronavirus cases had risen to 1,543 - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Hancock added that emergency legislation will be introduced to MPs on Thursday , with the aim of giving the government new powers to keep public services on track during the outbreak .
He also said that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has spoken to manufacturers today by phone , asking them to produce much-needed ventilators for the health service .
Downing Street put out a call for the equipment over the weekend , over fears intensive care units in the NHS could soon face unprecedented demand for them .
Speaking in the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the outbreak , Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Britons to avoid pubs , clubs , restaurants and theatres and to only make essential journeys in the `` national fightback '' against coronavirus .
He added that the number of coronavirus cases in the UK could double every five or six days without `` drastic action '' .
`` Today , we need to go further , `` Mr Johnson said .
In Europe , European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has proposed a 30-day ban on non-essential foreign travel to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with member states tomorrow .
An official earlier said : `` Ireland and Britain are encouraged to align . ''
• Globally more than 169,000 have tested positive and over 7,000 have died • Virgin Atlantic asks staff to take eight weeks of unpaid leave as it parks up 85 % of planes • EasyJet to ground majority of its fleet on a rolling basis • IAG , British Airway 's parent company , will cut flights by at least 75 % in April and May • British granddad died 'after contracting virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 368 more deaths from the coronavirus outbreak on Sunday , its biggest one day rise • France is preparing to put the country under partial lockdown to combat the pandemic • FTSE 100 fell by 8.7 % on opening , settling to 7.2 % with a loss of about £95bn on Monday • A British man in Vietnam is seriously ill with COVID-19 and is on a ventilator • The free TV licence for over-75s will end on 1 August instead of 1 June because of the outbreak A Public Health England briefing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could see up to 7.9 million people requiring hospital treatment in the UK over the next 12 months .
The document also confirms that healthcare workers who have symptoms of COVID-19 would not necessarily be tested .
Chief medical officer Chris Whitty has previously said up to 80 % of the population could catch the virus in a worst-case scenario .
On Sunday , the Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the elderly could be asked to self-isolate for up to four months .
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said on Monday that people over the age of 70 will be asked to self-isolate `` as and when the moment is right '' - but that they would still be able to go outside and `` walk the dog '' .
He said : `` We will ask people to do that as and when the moment is right . ''
Those who refuse to self-isolate or fail to comply with restrictions could face a fine of up to £1,000 .
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of closing schools and postponing exams .

A total of 55 people in the UK have now died after testing positive for the coronavirus, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.
This is a rise of 19 deaths in a 24-hour period.
Making the announcement in the House of Commons, Health Secretary Matt Hancock called the coronavirus pandemic "the most serious public health emergency that our nation has faced for a generation".
Mr Hancock said: "Our goal is to protect life. Our actions have meant that the spread of the virus has been slowed in the UK and I want to pay tribute to the officials at Public Health England and the NHS for their exemplary approach to contact tracing and their work so far.
"However, the disease is now accelerating and 53 have sadly now died. Our hearts across this whole house go out to their families."
The announcement came after two more deaths - one each - in Wales and Scotland.
Earlier in the day, the Department of Health announced that as of 9am on Monday, the number of UK coronavirus cases had risen to 1,543 - up by 171 in 24 hours.
Mr Hancock added that emergency legislation will be introduced to MPs on Thursday, with the aim of giving the government new powers to keep public services on track during the outbreak.
He also said that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has spoken to manufacturers today by phone, asking them to produce much-needed ventilators for the health service.
Advertisement
Downing Street put out a call for the equipment over the weekend, over fears intensive care units in the NHS could soon face unprecedented demand for them.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:33 Coronavirus: PM urges Britons to avoid pubs, restaurants and theatres
Speaking in the first of the newly announced daily press conferences on the outbreak, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Britons to avoid pubs, clubs, restaurants and theatres and to only make essential journeys in the "national fightback" against coronavirus.
He added that the number of coronavirus cases in the UK could double every five or six days without "drastic action".
"Today, we need to go further, " Mr Johnson said.
In Europe, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has proposed a 30-day ban on non-essential foreign travel to the EU. The proposal will be discussed with member states tomorrow.
An official earlier said: "Ireland and Britain are encouraged to align."
In other coronavirus developments:
Globally more than 169,000 have tested positive and over 7,000 have died
Virgin Atlantic asks staff to take eight weeks of unpaid leave as it parks up 85% of planes
as it parks up 85% of planes EasyJet to ground majority of its fleet on a rolling basis
IAG, British Airway's parent company, will cut flights by at least 75% in April and May
British granddad died 'after contracting virus from skier in restaurant'
Italy records 368 more deaths from the coronavirus outbreak on Sunday, its biggest one day rise
France is preparing to put the country under partial lockdown to combat the pandemic
FTSE 100 fell by 8.7% on opening, settling to 7.2% with a loss of about £95bn on Monday
A British man in Vietnam is seriously ill with COVID-19 and is on a ventilator
The free TV licence for over-75s will end on 1 August instead of 1 June because of the outbreak
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 12:45 Shapps: Our approach is science-led, not popularist
A Public Health England briefing seen by Sky News claims the coronavirus could see up to 7.9 million people requiring hospital treatment in the UK over the next 12 months.
The document also confirms that healthcare workers who have symptoms of COVID-19 would not necessarily be tested.
Chief medical officer Chris Whitty has previously said up to 80% of the population could catch the virus in a worst-case scenario.
On Sunday, the Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the elderly could be asked to self-isolate for up to four months.
:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said on Monday that people over the age of 70 will be asked to self-isolate "as and when the moment is right" - but that they would still be able to go outside and "walk the dog".
He said: "We will ask people to do that as and when the moment is right."
Those who refuse to self-isolate or fail to comply with restrictions could face a fine of up to £1,000.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is due to meet school leaders to discuss the implications of closing schools and postponing exams.


news--2020-03-16--Coronavirus: Louis Vuitton owner to make hand sanitiser for hospitals

LVMH will start making hand sanitiser for hospitals to stave off a national shortage across France as the coronavirus outbreak escalates .
The French luxury goods group , which owns fashion house Louis Vuitton , announced it would manufacture the disinfectant gel using the production lines of its perfume and cosmetic gels from Monday .
`` These gels will be delivered free of charge to the health authorities , '' LVMH said in a statement , in particular the 39 public hospitals in Paris .
The company , which also owns well known brands including champagne maker Moet & Chandon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tonnes of sanitiser this week instead of the usual Christian Dior , Guerlain and Givenchy fragrances and cosmetics made at its three French sites .
`` LVMH will continue to honour this commitment for as long as necessary , in connection with the French health authorities , '' the group added .
Meanwhile , French airports group ADP said it would be considering closing down some areas in its main Paris airports to deal with the coronavirus outbreak , adding it was expecting a major financial hit due to the virus .
France @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths from coronavirus on Sunday , taking the total to 127 .
It said there had been an increase of more than 1,000 cases of infection as the country braces for the introduction of stricter measures to slow down the spread of the virus .
The country has closed its restaurants , cafes and non-essential stores and many pharmacies have restricted customers to one small bottle of sanitiser per person .
Across the world , the virus has infected an estimated 167,687 people and killed more than 6,000 .
In the UK , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the coronavirus threat later today after meeting ministers and officials to consider measures including banning mass gatherings and lengthy household isolation for the elderly .
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said over-70s could be told to stay at home for up to four months within the `` coming weeks '' as the UK death toll reached 35 .
Downing Street has said Mr Johnson or one of his senior ministers will hold daily news conferences to update the public on the fight against coronavirus ,

LVMH will start making hand sanitiser for hospitals to stave off a national shortage across France as the coronavirus outbreak escalates.
The French luxury goods group, which owns fashion house Louis Vuitton, announced it would manufacture the disinfectant gel using the production lines of its perfume and cosmetic gels from Monday.
"These gels will be delivered free of charge to the health authorities," LVMH said in a statement, in particular the 39 public hospitals in Paris.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:39 Coronavirus quarantine: What happens now?
The company, which also owns well known brands including champagne maker Moet & Chandon and jeweller Bulgari, will produce 12 tonnes of sanitiser this week instead of the usual Christian Dior, Guerlain and Givenchy fragrances and cosmetics made at its three French sites.
"LVMH will continue to honour this commitment for as long as necessary, in connection with the French health authorities," the group added.
Meanwhile, French airports group ADP said it would be considering closing down some areas in its main Paris airports to deal with the coronavirus outbreak, adding it was expecting a major financial hit due to the virus.
France's Public Health Authority reported 36 new deaths from coronavirus on Sunday, taking the total to 127.
It said there had been an increase of more than 1,000 cases of infection as the country braces for the introduction of stricter measures to slow down the spread of the virus.
The country has closed its restaurants, cafes and non-essential stores and many pharmacies have restricted customers to one small bottle of sanitiser per person.
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Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:19 Europe begins to grind to a halt as strict rules imposed
Across the world, the virus has infected an estimated 167,687 people and killed more than 6,000.
In the UK, Boris Johnson is to address the nation on the coronavirus threat later today after meeting ministers and officials to consider measures including banning mass gatherings and lengthy household isolation for the elderly.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said over-70s could be told to stay at home for up to four months within the "coming weeks" as the UK death toll reached 35.
Downing Street has said Mr Johnson or one of his senior ministers will hold daily news conferences to update the public on the fight against coronavirus,