news--2020-04-14--Coronavirus: 'I won't go back to work until it's safe for me and residents' - The desperate story of

Coronavirus: 'I won't go back to work until it's safe for me and residents' - The desperate story of a care home worker

The government is under fire for not implementing widespread testing at care homes across the country - and carers have spoken about a shortage of protective equipment .
Sky News ' Lisa Holland spoke to one such carer , who wished to remain anonymous , about their experience during the outbreak , and why they are refusing to go to work .
This is their story : We have to be using aprons and gloves , bin bags and all sorts of things because there are suspected cases of COVID-19 in our home - and none of the staff that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gear .
It 's not safe , and you feel bad for the people you care for and the people you go in to look after every day - they 're like your family and you 're not getting the proper equipment to look after them .
It 's not an easy job - we feel as if we have been neglected .
Nobody gets tested in the care home - the residents have n't been tested and the staff have n't been tested , so it 's a high , high risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for other patients and for your family as well .
Lots of people will die unnecessarily because they have n't been tested , and staff have n't got the proper gear that they 're supposed to be wearing .
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker If you 've not been tested and patients have n't been tested , and you 're dealing with someone who you feel has a high temperature or a nasty cough , you could be carrying it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catching whatever they 've got and spreading it in the home .
We 've got staff who have family who have underlying illnesses , who have young children to go home to .
If we are going into a room with people who have got it and going into another room , everyone 's going to die .
It 's really , really bad .
Not only have none of the staff and residents been tested - they 're still bringing in people from hospital to come into the home , and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested as well .
I am refusing to go back to work until they improve this whole situation because I am not going to risk myself and my family at the moment .
The residents are very vulnerable at the moment , the way that we are leaving them , and if something is n't done for the care homes really quickly , God forbid , people inside them are going to die .
The government needs to do more for the care home residents and the care home staff because we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after just as much as everybody else .
We know we have a duty of care to provide and we want to do our job to the best of our ability - but if we have n't got the proper gear , we 're not going to risk ourselves as well .
It 's sad because the people we care and look after are like our own families .
That 's the way we treat them .
We love our job and want to be there to support them and they are very @ @ @ @ @

The government is under fire for not implementing widespread testing at care homes across the country - and carers have spoken about a shortage of protective equipment.
Sky News' Lisa Holland spoke to one such carer, who wished to remain anonymous, about their experience during the outbreak, and why they are refusing to go to work. This is their story:
We have to be using aprons and gloves, bin bags and all sorts of things because there are suspected cases of COVID-19 in our home - and none of the staff that work with these people have got protective gear.
It's not safe, and you feel bad for the people you care for and the people you go in to look after every day - they're like your family and you're not getting the proper equipment to look after them.
It's not an easy job - we feel as if we have been neglected.
Nobody gets tested in the care home - the residents haven't been tested and the staff haven't been tested, so it's a high, high risk. It's a risk for yourself, for other patients and for your family as well.
Lots of people will die unnecessarily because they haven't been tested, and staff haven't got the proper gear that they're supposed to be wearing.
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:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
If you've not been tested and patients haven't been tested, and you're dealing with someone who you feel has a high temperature or a nasty cough, you could be carrying it around as well - and you're catching whatever they've got and spreading it in the home.
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We've got staff who have family who have underlying illnesses, who have young children to go home to. If we are going into a room with people who have got it and going into another room, everyone's going to die.
It's really, really bad.
Not only have none of the staff and residents been tested - they're still bringing in people from hospital to come into the home, and we're not sure if they've been tested as well.
I am refusing to go back to work until they improve this whole situation because I am not going to risk myself and my family at the moment.
The residents are very vulnerable at the moment, the way that we are leaving them, and if something isn't done for the care homes really quickly, God forbid, people inside them are going to die.
The government needs to do more for the care home residents and the care home staff because we are frontline workers and need to be looked after just as much as everybody else.
We know we have a duty of care to provide and we want to do our job to the best of our ability - but if we haven't got the proper gear, we're not going to risk ourselves as well.
It's sad because the people we care and look after are like our own families. That's the way we treat them. We love our job and want to be there to support them and they are very vulnerable at the moment.


news--2020-05-17--Coronavirus: UK records lowest deaths figure since 24 March

Another 170 people with coronavirus have died in the UK as of 9am on Sunday - the lowest daily figure since 24 March .
The number - a 53-day low - was confirmed in the government 's daily coronavirus briefing , which was delayed for half an hour because of a technical issue with the Zoom conferencing software .
The numbers are typically lower on Sundays , but the figure is almost 100 fewer than the 268 reported a week ago .
At the peak on 2 April , there were 961 deaths in a 24-hour period .
Business Secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases of COVID-19 as of 9am on Sunday , although the numbers did not include testing data from Northern Ireland .
Across the country more than 243,300 people have tested positive for the virus .
The 170 deaths - not all of which took place in the 24 hours prior - bring the UK total to 34,636 .
This is the highest in Europe .
Due to a technical hitch the conference ultimately went ahead without using Zoom .
A message on the Zoom Twitter account said : `` Our team is investigating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meetings .
These issues appear to be limited to a subset of users . ''
Once he did take to the podium , Mr Sharma revealed plans were in place to roll out a COVID-19 vaccine to 30 million people by September if trials are successful .

Another 170 people with coronavirus have died in the UK as of 9am on Sunday - the lowest daily figure since 24 March.
The number - a 53-day low - was confirmed in the government's daily coronavirus briefing, which was delayed for half an hour because of a technical issue with the Zoom conferencing software.
The numbers are typically lower on Sundays, but the figure is almost 100 fewer than the 268 reported a week ago.
At the peak on 2 April, there were 961 deaths in a 24-hour period.
Business Secretary Alok Sharma said there were 3,142 new cases of COVID-19 as of 9am on Sunday, although the numbers did not include testing data from Northern Ireland.
Across the country more than 243,300 people have tested positive for the virus.
The 170 deaths - not all of which took place in the 24 hours prior - bring the UK total to 34,636. This is the highest in Europe.
Due to a technical hitch the conference ultimately went ahead without using Zoom.
A message on the Zoom Twitter account said: "Our team is investigating the root cause of issues joining Zoom Meetings. These issues appear to be limited to a subset of users."
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Once he did take to the podium, Mr Sharma revealed plans were in place to roll out a COVID-19 vaccine to 30 million people by September if trials are successful.


news--2020-05-17--Coronavirus will 'delete Yemen from maps all over the world'

The impact of coronavirus on Yemen will be devastating after years of civil war , the head of the United Nations Refugee Agency in the country has told Sky News .
Speaking from the Yemeni capital , Sana ' a , Jean-Nicolas Beuze said the number of suspected COVID-19 cases in the country appears to be multiplying fast and , at the same time , international aid agencies are being forced to abandon critical programmes .
`` The coronavirus may be the straw which will break the camel 's back in Yemen , '' Mr Beuze said via video link @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public health authorities despite all their efforts to track the spread of the coronavirus .
We do n't have enough tests .
`` Half of the health facilities have been destroyed by five years of conflict .
People die from many other causes too such as dengue fever , malaria , cholera . ''
The UN warning comes as Sky News has filmed footage in the southern city of Aden showing line upon line of graves as authorities cope with the growing number of dead .
Numerous diseases are already endemic in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ displaced millions .
More than 24 million Yemenis - 80 % of the population - are in need of humanitarian assistance .
Half of the country 's health facilities are dysfunctional and nearly a quarter of the country 's districts have no doctors .
`` We know that the immunity among the population is very low .
We are speaking here about people who maybe eat once a day .
We are speaking about children who have not been vaccinated , '' Mr Bouze said .
`` We are speaking about people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were shelled or bombed and therefore do not have any livelihood . ''
Critically though , he said that just at the time when urgent extra aid is needed , squeezed donor countries are cutting their funding .
`` All the humanitarian partners here ... are missing critical funding .
The UNHCR will be closing , in a few days , a number of lifeline programmes .
So we will be leaving 3.6 million internally displaced and 280,000 refugees without any form of assistance .
It 's a life and death situation for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us from travelling to Yemen to see the situation first-hand .
But relying on a network of local cameramen and testimony from both local and international aid agencies , Sky News has built up a picture of the situation .
In the southern city of Aden , the crisis is clear at the Radhwan cemetery .
Our cameraman filmed as graves were dug and bodies lowered into them .
In the past week alone , in this one city , about 500 people have died with corona-like symptoms according to the city registrar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a significant spike .
The numbers and causes of death can not be accurate in this chaotic place , but it is clear that in a little over two weeks Yemen has gone from no cases to many hundreds .
`` Nobody knows what the disease is exactly , '' Fadhl Qaed Ahmed , who manages the cemetery , told us .
`` They sometimes say it 's the plague , other times chikungunya or malaria .
We do n't know what the reality is and there are no specialists to confirm what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In anticipation of the days ahead , empty holes line the cemetery with cleared land beyond .
`` Here we see a funeral coming our way .
This is the fifth funeral this afternoon , while we 've buried seven bodies this morning , '' he added .
There is a hopelessness about it all too .
Of the scores of people helping to deliver the bodies to the graveyard and to bury them , not one is wearing any protective clothing or a mask .
Aden is the interim seat of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removed from the country 's capital Sana ' a in 2014 by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebel group who now control the north .
This past week , the government 's coronavirus committee declared Aden an `` infested city '' because of the prevalence of the virus on top of existing diseases .
The roads out of Aden tell the story of this country .
Each of the destroyed houses represents a family either dead or displaced .
The United Nations ( UN ) estimates that the conflict has killed more than 100,000 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ camps where the UN refugee agency has warned they will soon lose their aid and support .
The presence of coronavirus in Yemen and the impact the virus is having on the economies of wealthy donor countries is a devastating dual blow .
Around 120 miles north-west of Aden is Taiz .
Yemen 's third largest city , once its capital of culture , it is now a front line in this long war .
The city is divided between the warring factions .
An unofficial ceasefire in April , called because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But the city is battered after years of being the dividing point in this conflict .
At the hospital 's isolation centre , our cameras filmed blood tests taking place on very frail patients .
They test for cholera , dengue fever , chikungunya and malaria .
It is the rainy season now , and with that , in a country like this , all these diseases thrive .
Further north , Sana ' a , in the northern mountains , is the heartland of the Houthi rebels .
As part of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country , a month ago we spoke to Dr Hamdan Bajary , the head of the Intensive Care Unit ( ICU ) at Sana ' a 's Al-Thawrah General Medical Hospital .
It was a few weeks before there had been any confirmed cases of COVID-19 .
Yet he warned of the dangers ahead .
`` How we can face this struggle I do n't know .
We have n't any facilities .
We have n't any material totally sufficient to face this struggle , to face this disaster .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said , pointing to a couple of sterilisation units .
`` All ICUs are overcrowded with patients and we have n't sufficient mechanical ventilation .
Even Italian people ca n't face this struggle .
It 's a big disaster , '' Dr Bajary said .
Since we filmed that interview , it is no longer possible to access the hospital .
The authorities in control in the north will not allow it .
But Sky News has spoken to a number of well-placed contacts inside the country who say the Houthi authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cases .
Intensive care units are overwhelmed and the mortality rate in ICUs , we are told , is near 100 % .
Many people are not even making it to the hospitals with reports of many dying at home and some collapsing as they reach help .
Yet even in this hopelessness , or maybe because of it , we found remarkable ingenuity .
To the west of Sana ' a , the hospital in the city of Hajjah supports the whole of Hajjah governorate - an area of four thousand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is the region where poverty and malnutrition are at their most acute .
In a dusty room in the back of the hospital we discovered Luai Taha al Mahbashi , a medical engineer with a vital skill .
He explained how he was recycling endless bits of medical equipment and repurposing them into lifesaving devices .
Using a blueprint from the internet and inspiration from a UK-based company , he has created his own makeshift CPAP machines - devices that have saved so many lives globally .
And at his desk , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an infrared thermal scanner .
`` This sensor is going to read the temperature of the human , the patient .
`` Actually there is a shortage of the infrared thermal image also in Yemen .
It 's difficult to import these devices and right now it 's so expensive .
So I decided to make the infrared thermal image locally with the pieces you can find in our local market . ''
But he ended with his fears if the world does n't help .
`` It 's going to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yemen is going to be deleted from maps all over the world .
The situation is really dangerous . ''
Ahmed Baider in Yemen contributed to this report .

The impact of coronavirus on Yemen will be devastating after years of civil war, the head of the United Nations Refugee Agency in the country has told Sky News.
Speaking from the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, Jean-Nicolas Beuze said the number of suspected COVID-19 cases in the country appears to be multiplying fast and, at the same time, international aid agencies are being forced to abandon critical programmes.
"The coronavirus may be the straw which will break the camel's back in Yemen," Mr Beuze said via video link.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 3:08 War, famine and now coronavirus are devastating Yemen
"It's very difficult for the public health authorities despite all their efforts to track the spread of the coronavirus. We don't have enough tests.
"Half of the health facilities have been destroyed by five years of conflict. People die from many other causes too such as dengue fever, malaria, cholera."
The UN warning comes as Sky News has filmed footage in the southern city of Aden showing line upon line of graves as authorities cope with the growing number of dead.
Numerous diseases are already endemic in Yemen and years of civil war has displaced millions.
More than 24 million Yemenis - 80% of the population - are in need of humanitarian assistance. Half of the country's health facilities are dysfunctional and nearly a quarter of the country's districts have no doctors.
"We know that the immunity among the population is very low. We are speaking here about people who maybe eat once a day. We are speaking about children who have not been vaccinated," Mr Bouze said.
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"We are speaking about people who have fled their homes because their homes were shelled or bombed and therefore do not have any livelihood."
Critically though, he said that just at the time when urgent extra aid is needed, squeezed donor countries are cutting their funding.
Image: Funding for medical aid has been cut by donors
"All the humanitarian partners here... are missing critical funding. The UNHCR will be closing, in a few days, a number of lifeline programmes. So we will be leaving 3.6 million internally displaced and 280,000 refugees without any form of assistance. It's a life and death situation for them."
Global coronavirus restrictions prevent us from travelling to Yemen to see the situation first-hand. But relying on a network of local cameramen and testimony from both local and international aid agencies, Sky News has built up a picture of the situation.
Image: Sky News footage shows bodies brought to the cemetery
In the southern city of Aden, the crisis is clear at the Radhwan cemetery. Our cameraman filmed as graves were dug and bodies lowered into them.
In the past week alone, in this one city, about 500 people have died with corona-like symptoms according to the city registrar. It is a figure which represents a significant spike.
Image: Men dig the graves by hand at Radhwan cemetery
The numbers and causes of death cannot be accurate in this chaotic place, but it is clear that in a little over two weeks Yemen has gone from no cases to many hundreds.
"Nobody knows what the disease is exactly," Fadhl Qaed Ahmed, who manages the cemetery, told us.
Image: Fadhl Qaed Ahmed said nobody knows what the disease is
"They sometimes say it's the plague, other times chikungunya or malaria. We don't know what the reality is and there are no specialists to confirm what disease exists," he said.
In anticipation of the days ahead, empty holes line the cemetery with cleared land beyond.
Image: Empty holes have been dug deep into the cemetery
"Here we see a funeral coming our way. This is the fifth funeral this afternoon, while we've buried seven bodies this morning," he added.
There is a hopelessness about it all too. Of the scores of people helping to deliver the bodies to the graveyard and to bury them, not one is wearing any protective clothing or a mask.
Image: None of those delivering bodies have protective equipment
Aden is the interim seat of the Saudi-backed government in Yemen. It was removed from the country's capital Sana'a in 2014 by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebel group who now control the north.
This past week, the government's coronavirus committee declared Aden an "infested city" because of the prevalence of the virus on top of existing diseases.
Image: Authorities called Aden an 'infested city'
The roads out of Aden tell the story of this country. Each of the destroyed houses represents a family either dead or displaced. The United Nations (UN) estimates that the conflict has killed more than 100,000 people.
Millions of survivors are living in camps where the UN refugee agency has warned they will soon lose their aid and support.
Image: The ruined houses on the road out of Aden tells Yemen's story
The presence of coronavirus in Yemen and the impact the virus is having on the economies of wealthy donor countries is a devastating dual blow.
Around 120 miles north-west of Aden is Taiz.
Yemen's third largest city, once its capital of culture, it is now a front line in this long war. The city is divided between the warring factions.
An unofficial ceasefire in April, called because of coronavirus, is holding for now. But the city is battered after years of being the dividing point in this conflict.
At the hospital's isolation centre, our cameras filmed blood tests taking place on very frail patients.
They test for cholera, dengue fever, chikungunya and malaria. It is the rainy season now, and with that, in a country like this, all these diseases thrive.
Image: Patients in Taiz are tested for many diseases whi
Further north, Sana'a, in the northern mountains, is the heartland of the Houthi rebels.
As part of our effort to gather material and insight from across the country, a month ago we spoke to Dr Hamdan Bajary, the head of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Sana'a's Al-Thawrah General Medical Hospital.
It was a few weeks before there had been any confirmed cases of COVID-19. Yet he warned of the dangers ahead.
Image: Even before the pandemic, medical experts warned of a crisis
"How we can face this struggle I don't know. We haven't any facilities. We haven't any material totally sufficient to face this struggle, to face this disaster. We haven't. Just this," he said, pointing to a couple of sterilisation units.
"All ICUs are overcrowded with patients and we haven't sufficient mechanical ventilation. Even Italian people can't face this struggle. It's a big disaster," Dr Bajary said.
Image: Houthi authorities are no longer allowing media to access hospitals
Since we filmed that interview, it is no longer possible to access the hospital. The authorities in control in the north will not allow it.
But Sky News has spoken to a number of well-placed contacts inside the country who say the Houthi authorities are failing to disclose the true number of cases.
Image: Charities claim Houthi authorities are failing to disclose the true number of cases
Intensive care units are overwhelmed and the mortality rate in ICUs, we are told, is near 100%.
Many people are not even making it to the hospitals with reports of many dying at home and some collapsing as they reach help.
Image: Many Yemenis are dying at home before reaching hospital
Yet even in this hopelessness, or maybe because of it, we found remarkable ingenuity.
To the west of Sana'a, the hospital in the city of Hajjah supports the whole of Hajjah governorate - an area of four thousand square miles of mountains and coastline. It is the region where poverty and malnutrition are at their most acute.
In a dusty room in the back of the hospital we discovered Luai Taha al Mahbashi, a medical engineer with a vital skill.
Image: Luai Taha al Mahbashi's skills are vital when healthcare is stretched
He explained how he was recycling endless bits of medical equipment and repurposing them into lifesaving devices.
Using a blueprint from the internet and inspiration from a UK-based company, he has created his own makeshift CPAP machines - devices that have saved so many lives globally.
And at his desk, he showed us how he is creating an infrared thermal scanner.
"This sensor is going to read the temperature of the human, the patient.
Image: Yemeni engineer Luai Taha al Mahbashi recycles equipment
"Actually there is a shortage of the infrared thermal image also in Yemen. It's difficult to import these devices and right now it's so expensive. So I decided to make the infrared thermal image locally with the pieces you can find in our local market."
But he ended with his fears if the world doesn't help.
"It's going to be a really big disaster for my country. Yemen is going to be deleted from maps all over the world. The situation is really dangerous."
Ahmed Baider in Yemen contributed to this report.


news--2020-05-17--Brexit: Labour renews calls to avoid no-deal drop off from EU

Labour has renewed calls for the Brexit transition period to be extended past the end of 2020 if no trade deal is agreed with the EU , to stop the UK `` crashing out '' .
Shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves urged negotiators not to `` rush '' and to `` take the time that is necessary '' .
The UK left the EU in January , but is still operating on the same rules - including trade terms and free movement - until 31 December .
By then either a trade deal will be in place or , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will fall on to base-level World Trade Organisation terms , with much higher tariffs slapped on exported goods .
The deadline for extending talks is the end of June , but Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said he will not do so .
Fears of a no-deal departure were raised earlier this week , when the UK 's chief negotiator , David Frost , declared that in recent talks `` we made very little progress towards agreement on the most significant outstanding issues between us '' .
The UK wants a Canada-style @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxes that both sides have to pay to export items to one another , but would keep some customs and VAT checks .
But the EU wants to make sure standards are the same on both sides - known as a `` level playing field '' .
This would include areas where the UK had wanted sole sovereignty , such as fishing .
Ms Reeves told Sky News ' Sophy Ridge On Sunday that if a compromise deal can not be reached by the end of the year , the Brexit transition period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
`` We want government to focus wholly at the moment on tackling the coronavirus , '' she said .
`` But the government are still saying they can get that deal by the end of this year .
: : Listen to Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Apple podcasts , Google podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker '' You 'll remember at the election the government saying they had an 'oven-ready deal ' and that this would be the simplest deal to negotiate .
The government are still saying that is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must n't rush this and if they are not going to a secure deal , we must n't crash out without a deal , so that means taking the time that is necessary but it 's up to government to show that they can deliver the promises that they have made to the British people ... that is getting a good deal and a good deal by the end of this year .
`` If they are not in a position to do that then they need to come back and expand the @ @ @

Labour has renewed calls for the Brexit transition period to be extended past the end of 2020 if no trade deal is agreed with the EU, to stop the UK "crashing out".
Shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves urged negotiators not to "rush" and to "take the time that is necessary".
The UK left the EU in January, but is still operating on the same rules - including trade terms and free movement - until 31 December.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 22:07 Sophy Ridge On Sunday highlights
Image: Rachel Reeves said the government should focus on coronavirus for now
By then either a trade deal will be in place or, if none is reached, the UK will fall on to base-level World Trade Organisation terms, with much higher tariffs slapped on exported goods.
The deadline for extending talks is the end of June, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said he will not do so.
Fears of a no-deal departure were raised earlier this week, when the UK's chief negotiator, David Frost, declared that in recent talks "we made very little progress towards agreement on the most significant outstanding issues between us".
The UK wants a Canada-style free-trade deal that would substantially reduce the taxes that both sides have to pay to export items to one another, but would keep some customs and VAT checks.
But the EU wants to make sure standards are the same on both sides - known as a "level playing field". This would include areas where the UK had wanted sole sovereignty, such as fishing.
Ms Reeves told Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday that if a compromise deal cannot be reached by the end of the year, the Brexit transition period should be extended to give negotiators more time.
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"We want government to focus wholly at the moment on tackling the coronavirus," she said.
"But the government are still saying they can get that deal by the end of this year.
Image: David Frost says there has been 'very little progress' in talks
:: Listen to Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
"You'll remember at the election the government saying they had an 'oven-ready deal' and that this would be the simplest deal to negotiate. The government are still saying that is the case.
"We're saying they mustn't rush this and if they are not going to a secure deal, we mustn't crash out without a deal, so that means taking the time that is necessary but it's up to government to show that they can deliver the promises that they have made to the British people... that is getting a good deal and a good deal by the end of this year.
"If they are not in a position to do that then they need to come back and expand the timetable."


news--2020-05-17--Coronavirus: Brazil overtakes Spain and Italy in COVID-19 cases

The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Brazil has now surpassed that of Spain and Italy , official figures show .
It means the outbreak in Brazil is the fourth largest in the world after the country 's health ministry registered 14,919 new confirmed cases in 24 hours , taking the total to 233,142 , behind the United States , Russia and the UK .
Brazil has done just a fraction of the testing for COVID-19 seen in the other three countries .
The figures will pile pressure on president Jair Bolsonaro , who lost his second health minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has defied health experts and called for widespread use of drugs that have not been proved to be effective .
The 65-year-old right-wing leader has publicly attacked state governors in his country who have introduced quarantine measures to combat the spread of the virus , including the closure of schools , shops and restaurants .
He has previously described the virus as `` light flu '' despite the huge numbers of people who have died .
The president argues that the toll on the economy is becoming unbearable and businesses must be allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The government now expects Brazil will suffer its biggest annual economic contraction this year since records began more than a century ago .
Brazil 's vice president , Hamilton Mourao , underwent a COVID-19 test and was placed in isolation at his official residence on Saturday , after a public servant who had been near him last week tested positive .
Mr Mourao , 66 , will not take part in official duties on Monday , when the results are expected .
Nationwide testing in Brazil still lags far behind European countries .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ official labs by the beginning of the week , according to its health ministry .
Another 145,000 tests were under analysis or waiting to be carried out .
By contrast , Italy and Spain have each run some 1.9 million official diagnostic tests for the virus .
Brazil also reported 816 new deaths related to the virus on Saturday , bringing the total to more than 15,600 .

The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Brazil has now surpassed that of Spain and Italy, official figures show.
It means the outbreak in Brazil is the fourth largest in the world after the country's health ministry registered 14,919 new confirmed cases in 24 hours, taking the total to 233,142, behind the United States, Russia and the UK.
Brazil has done just a fraction of the testing for COVID-19 seen in the other three countries.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 3:17 Grave diggers in Brazil struggle to keep up
The figures will pile pressure on president Jair Bolsonaro, who lost his second health minister in a month on Friday.
He has defied health experts and called for widespread use of drugs that have not been proved to be effective.
The 65-year-old right-wing leader has publicly attacked state governors in his country who have introduced quarantine measures to combat the spread of the virus, including the closure of schools, shops and restaurants.
He has previously described the virus as "light flu" despite the huge numbers of people who have died.
The president argues that the toll on the economy is becoming unbearable and businesses must be allowed to reopen as soon as possible.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:31 Brazil's president snubs social distancing for selfies
The government now expects Brazil will suffer its biggest annual economic contraction this year since records began more than a century ago.
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Brazil's vice president, Hamilton Mourao, underwent a COVID-19 test and was placed in isolation at his official residence on Saturday, after a public servant who had been near him last week tested positive.
Mr Mourao, 66, will not take part in official duties on Monday, when the results are expected.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:47 Brazilian mayor wants Greta Thunberg's help
Nationwide testing in Brazil still lags far behind European countries.
It had processed nearly 338,000 tests in official labs by the beginning of the week, according to its health ministry. Another 145,000 tests were under analysis or waiting to be carried out.
By contrast, Italy and Spain have each run some 1.9 million official diagnostic tests for the virus.
Brazil also reported 816 new deaths related to the virus on Saturday, bringing the total to more than 15,600.


news--2020-05-17--Coronavirus: 'Nightingale courts' considered as jury trials return

The construction of temporary `` Nightingale courts '' to tackle a massive backlog of legal cases in England and Wales is being actively considered , the Justice Secretary has confirmed .
A small number of jury trials will begin again on Monday , after thousands were halted because of the coronavirus lockdown .
But authorities believe it will be many months before courts are anywhere near fully functional and officials are now urgently looking for `` radical solutions '' .
Justice Secretary Robert Buckland told Sky News he had instructed officials to look at ways of adapting the NHS model @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for social distancing .
`` I think we need to concentrate on the court estate first of all , '' he said .
`` But where it is possible perhaps to do hearings that do n't require custody , that can be done in buildings perhaps adjacent to the court centres , then I think that needs to be looked into and I 've encouraged that to happen , in places like Cardiff , for example .
`` I would like to see more of that thinking done at pace because , frankly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the more we can do . ''
An average of 1,000 criminal trials before a jury take place across England and Wales each month .
All jury trials were halted on 23 March to comply with the government 's COVID-19 lockdown .
Four new pilot jury trials will be held this week in London , Cardiff , Bristol and Manchester , after court officials adapted courtrooms to ensure social distancing .
Sky News was given exclusive access to court 16 at the Old Bailey , where one of those cases will be held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of causing death by careless driving .
The courtroom has been reconfigured to allow the 12 members of the jury to be moved from the jury box to the much larger well of the court , where they can be seated at least two meters apart .
Legal counsel for the defence and prosecution will move from the well of the court into the jury box .
An adjoining courtroom will also be used to accommodate members of the media and other legal representatives , who will watch proceedings via a video link @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Burnett of Maldon , said : `` It 's taken a lot of time , a lot of energy and a great deal of effort on the part of many people to come up with plans that Public Health England and Public Health Wales have been entirely satisfied are safe . ''
Only a handful of pilot jury trials will be held in the coming weeks , before the number of cases is gradually expanded .
But with it likely to be many months before the country 's courts can operate at full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of possible changes to the trial process .
As well as commandeering additional buildings , trials could go ahead with just seven jury members , rather than 12 .
Cancelling summer breaks and sitting in the evenings is also under consideration .
Lord Burnett added : `` No one , as far as I 'm aware , is confidently predicting when life might be able to return to something approaching normal .
`` Looking forward to the administration of justice generally , there is absolutely nothing that is off the table .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we might need social distancing of some sort for the better part of a year , then I think we are going to have to look at more radical solutions in all jurisdictions , but especially in the criminal context . ''
Throughout the Old Bailey , open spaces have been adapted to allow court users to maintain a safe distance from others .
The chairwoman of the Bar Council , who has been involved in helping draw up the new safety protocols , said that it was inevitable there would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` I expect there will need to be some adjustments over the next few weeks .
Apart from anything else , all of this is a bit new and we 're rightly feeling our way .
`` But I really think people have tried very hard to think in detail about what measures are necessary to keep people safe . ''
The lord chief justice said use of video technology , allowing witnesses , defendants and the media to participate in trials remotely , are likely to be more common place in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - the Press Association 's Old Bailey correspondent - warned that the use of overspill courts for the media must not become a longer-term model for covering criminal trials once the pandemic is over .
She said : `` Sometimes it 's difficult to hear , if you 're on a live link and you have to live with the danger that it 's suddenly going to go down and you might miss a key piece of evidence .
: : Listen to Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Apple podcasts , Google podcasts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really important to be in court and able to see the witnesses and the defendant .
You do miss a lot of nuances , if you 're not actually there to see it yourself . ''
Small numbers of trials , lasting no more than two weeks , are expected to take place initially .
The wider roll out of jury trials will only happen if the first few pilot cases prove they can operate safely .

The construction of temporary "Nightingale courts" to tackle a massive backlog of legal cases in England and Wales is being actively considered, the Justice Secretary has confirmed.
A small number of jury trials will begin again on Monday, after thousands were halted because of the coronavirus lockdown.
But authorities believe it will be many months before courts are anywhere near fully functional and officials are now urgently looking for "radical solutions".
Image: An average of 1,000 criminal trials before a jury take place across England and Wales each month
Justice Secretary Robert Buckland told Sky News he had instructed officials to look at ways of adapting the NHS model of commandeering additional buildings, to allow for social distancing.
"I think we need to concentrate on the court estate first of all," he said.
"But where it is possible perhaps to do hearings that don't require custody, that can be done in buildings perhaps adjacent to the court centres, then I think that needs to be looked into and I've encouraged that to happen, in places like Cardiff, for example.
"I would like to see more of that thinking done at pace because, frankly, the more space we have, the more we can do."
An average of 1,000 criminal trials before a jury take place across England and Wales each month.
All jury trials were halted on 23 March to comply with the government's COVID-19 lockdown.
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Four new pilot jury trials will be held this week in London, Cardiff, Bristol and Manchester, after court officials adapted courtrooms to ensure social distancing.
Sky News was given exclusive access to court 16 at the Old Bailey, where one of those cases will be held - the trial of a man accused of causing death by careless driving.
The courtroom has been reconfigured to allow the 12 members of the jury to be moved from the jury box to the much larger well of the court, where they can be seated at least two meters apart.
Legal counsel for the defence and prosecution will move from the well of the court into the jury box.
An adjoining courtroom will also be used to accommodate members of the media and other legal representatives, who will watch proceedings via a video link.
The lord chief justice, Lord Burnett of Maldon, said: "It's taken a lot of time, a lot of energy and a great deal of effort on the part of many people to come up with plans that Public Health England and Public Health Wales have been entirely satisfied are safe."
Only a handful of pilot jury trials will be held in the coming weeks, before the number of cases is gradually expanded.
But with it likely to be many months before the country's courts can operate at full capacity, authorities are considering a number of possible changes to the trial process.
As well as commandeering additional buildings, trials could go ahead with just seven jury members, rather than 12.
Cancelling summer breaks and sitting in the evenings is also under consideration.
Lord Burnett added: "No one, as far as I'm aware, is confidently predicting when life might be able to return to something approaching normal.
"Looking forward to the administration of justice generally, there is absolutely nothing that is off the table.
Image: All jury trials were halted on 23 March due to the lockdown
"If, as many people are speculating, we might need social distancing of some sort for the better part of a year, then I think we are going to have to look at more radical solutions in all jurisdictions, but especially in the criminal context."
Throughout the Old Bailey, open spaces have been adapted to allow court users to maintain a safe distance from others.
The chairwoman of the Bar Council, who has been involved in helping draw up the new safety protocols, said that it was inevitable there would be some disruption.
Amanda Pinto QC said: "I expect there will need to be some adjustments over the next few weeks. Apart from anything else, all of this is a bit new and we're rightly feeling our way.
"But I really think people have tried very hard to think in detail about what measures are necessary to keep people safe."
The lord chief justice said use of video technology, allowing witnesses, defendants and the media to participate in trials remotely, are likely to be more common place in the months ahead.
But Emily Pennink - the Press Association's Old Bailey correspondent - warned that the use of overspill courts for the media must not become a longer-term model for covering criminal trials once the pandemic is over.
She said: "Sometimes it's difficult to hear, if you're on a live link and you have to live with the danger that it's suddenly going to go down and you might miss a key piece of evidence.
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:: Listen to Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
"It's really important to be in court and able to see the witnesses and the defendant. You do miss a lot of nuances, if you're not actually there to see it yourself."
Small numbers of trials, lasting no more than two weeks, are expected to take place initially.
The wider roll out of jury trials will only happen if the first few pilot cases prove they can operate safely.


news--2020-05-16--'COVID dogs' could sniff out up to 250 people an hour for coronavirus

Trials are going ahead to see if dogs could provide a non-invasive way of detecting the coronavirus .
Six dogs - labradors and cocker spaniels - will be given samples of the odour of COVID-19 patients from London hospitals , and taught to distinguish their smell from that of people who are not infected .
The British government has allocated £500,000 in funding for the trials , which will be part of research into possible non-invasive ways to detect the virus early .
The research will be conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine ( LSHTM ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Detection Dogs .
Medical Detection Dogs said it has trained dogs to detect some cancers , Parkinson 's disease and malaria , and that its research shows dogs can be trained to detect the odour of disease at the equivalent dilution of one teaspoon of sugar in two Olympic-sized swimming pools of water .
Dr Claire Guest , co-founder and chief executive of Medical Detection Dogs , said : `` They have the potential to help by quickly screening people , which could be vital in the future .
`` We are sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the odour of COVID-19 and we will then move into a second phase to test them in live situations , following which we hope to work with other agencies to train more dogs for deployment .
`` We are incredibly proud that a dog 's nose could once again save many lives . ''
If the trials are successful , each dog could check up to 250 people an hour and be used at places such as airports .
: : Listen to Coronavirus : In This Together on Apple Podcasts , Spotify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head of the department of disease control at the LSHTM , said : `` If successful , this approach could revolutionise how we detect the virus , with the potential to screen high numbers of people . ''
Innovation minister James Bethell said : `` Bio-detection dogs already detect specific cancers and we believe this innovation might provide speedy results as part of our wider testing strategy .
`` Accuracy is essential so this trial will tell us whether 'COVID dogs ' can reliably detect the virus and stop it spreading . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ US and France .

Trials are going ahead to see if dogs could provide a non-invasive way of detecting the coronavirus.
Six dogs - labradors and cocker spaniels - will be given samples of the odour of COVID-19 patients from London hospitals, and taught to distinguish their smell from that of people who are not infected.
The British government has allocated £500,000 in funding for the trials, which will be part of research into possible non-invasive ways to detect the virus early.
Image: The dogs could eventually screen up to 250 people per hour
The research will be conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Durham University and the charity Medical Detection Dogs.
Medical Detection Dogs said it has trained dogs to detect some cancers, Parkinson's disease and malaria, and that its research shows dogs can be trained to detect the odour of disease at the equivalent dilution of one teaspoon of sugar in two Olympic-sized swimming pools of water.
Dr Claire Guest, co-founder and chief executive of Medical Detection Dogs, said: "They have the potential to help by quickly screening people, which could be vital in the future.
"We are sure our dogs will be able to find the odour of COVID-19 and we will then move into a second phase to test them in live situations, following which we hope to work with other agencies to train more dogs for deployment.
"We are incredibly proud that a dog's nose could once again save many lives."
If the trials are successful, each dog could check up to 250 people an hour and be used at places such as airports.
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Image: Dogs are already used to sniff out diseases like cancer
:: Listen to Coronavirus: In This Together on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Spreaker
Professor James Logan, head of the department of disease control at the LSHTM, said: "If successful, this approach could revolutionise how we detect the virus, with the potential to screen high numbers of people."
Innovation minister James Bethell said: "Bio-detection dogs already detect specific cancers and we believe this innovation might provide speedy results as part of our wider testing strategy.
"Accuracy is essential so this trial will tell us whether 'COVID dogs' can reliably detect the virus and stop it spreading."
Similar trials are taking place in the US and France.


news--2020-05-17--Coronavirus: Companies face dividend ban under revised state loan scheme

Companies which receive state-backed loans of up to £200m face being banned from paying dividends or buying back shares under plans being considered this weekend by the government .
Sky News has learnt that ministers are finalising changes to the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme ( CLBILS ) that would include prohibiting the distribution of capital to investors in companies which take on the loans .
The government is also planning to encourage corporate users of CLBILS to demonstrate restraint when they make decisions about executive pay and bonuses , bankers said on Sunday .
If implemented , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to date into corporate governance and boardroom decision-making by Boris Johnson 's administration since the COVID-19 crisis began .
Such changes would reflect a profound anxiety in Downing Street about bosses using cheap public money to line the pockets of their shareholders and senior managers .
This weekend 's Sunday Times Rich List revealed that at least 63 of the UK 's wealthiest people have utilised the government 's emergency wage subsidy scheme to pay their staff during the pandemic .
One banker said it was likely that there would have been more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of remuneration if Whitehall had deemed them to be easily enforceable .
Gordon Brown 's government faced acute embarrassment after the bailouts of Britain 's banks during the 2008 financial crisis , with lenders including Royal Bank of Scotland continuing to pay out large sums in bonuses .
The British Business Bank ( BBB ) , which administers the various lending schemes introduced by the Treasury since March , is understood to have been briefed on the potential changes .
Many of the companies seeking money using CLBILS are privately owned businesses , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ London Stock Exchange .
Data published last week showed that only 59 companies had so far been lent money - a total of £359m - under the scheme .
It is understood that if they go ahead , the CLBILS restrictions on dividends and share buybacks will apply only to loans made above the previous ceiling of £50m , although details were still being ironed out on Sunday .
Hundreds of major employers are expected to apply for CLBILS loans once the cap is lifted to £200m , although the restrictions on payouts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scheme , banks are accredited by the BBB to issue loans , with the government providing an 80pc guarantee .
Any changes to CLBILS could be unveiled alongside a widening of the eligibility criteria for the Covid Corporate Financing Facility ( CCFF ) , which allows investment grade-rated companies to issue short-term debt that is then bought by the Bank of England , bankers said .
It is conceivable that the dividend and share buyback restrictions being considered for CLBILS loan recipients could also be applied to companies using the CCFF , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was being planned by ministers .
If the curbs were applied to investment-grade companies , it would deepen the dividend drought spreading across corporate Britain , potentially for several years .
Companies which have gained access to the CCF to date include easyJet , Greggs , Intercontinental Hotels Group and British Airways ' parent , International Airlines Group .
The Chancellor , Rishi Sunak , may announce the revised details to the Treasury 's emergency schemes during the early part of this week , and possibly as soon as Monday .
CLBILS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revisions , including lifting the maximum size of the loans and the turnover eligibility threshold for companies .
There have also been dividend restrictions built into the scheme since it launched , meaning that loan recipients would only be permitted to pay them if they were confident of repaying the loan .
However , the new conditions would go much further .
Previous changes to CLBILS were introduced amid concerns about a corporate 'squeezed middle ' , referring to businesses which fall between SMEs - which have access to the Coronavirus Business Interruption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ borrow up to £5m - and users of the CCFF .
Lenders accredited to issue loans under CLBILS include Barclays , HSBC , Lloyds Banking Group and NatWest Holdings - the taxpayer-backed bank which until recently was known as RBS .
The loans are repayable over a maximum of three years .
Ironically , many of the banks which will now be issuing government-backed loans have themselves found themselves at the centre of a storm over dividends during the pandemic .
Fraught talks between the major high street lenders and banking regulators in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 payouts , and suspending dividends and share buybacks until the end of this year .
Dozens of FTSE-100 companies have already axed or cut dividends during the crisis , starving income investors of capital from reliable stocks such as BT Group and Royal Dutch Shell .
The Treasury and BBB declined to comment on Sunday .

Companies which receive state-backed loans of up to £200m face being banned from paying dividends or buying back shares under plans being considered this weekend by the government.
Sky News has learnt that ministers are finalising changes to the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) that would include prohibiting the distribution of capital to investors in companies which take on the loans.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:50 'Richest people on planet using furlough scheme'
The government is also planning to encourage corporate users of CLBILS to demonstrate restraint when they make decisions about executive pay and bonuses, bankers said on Sunday.
If implemented, the conditions will be the most far-reaching intervention to date into corporate governance and boardroom decision-making by Boris Johnson's administration since the COVID-19 crisis began.
Such changes would reflect a profound anxiety in Downing Street about bosses using cheap public money to line the pockets of their shareholders and senior managers.
This weekend's Sunday Times Rich List revealed that at least 63 of the UK's wealthiest people have utilised the government's emergency wage subsidy scheme to pay their staff during the pandemic.
One banker said it was likely that there would have been more stringent curbs on bonuses and other forms of remuneration if Whitehall had deemed them to be easily enforceable.
Gordon Brown's government faced acute embarrassment after the bailouts of Britain's banks during the 2008 financial crisis, with lenders including Royal Bank of Scotland continuing to pay out large sums in bonuses.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 22:07 Sophy Ridge On Sunday highlights
The British Business Bank (BBB), which administers the various lending schemes introduced by the Treasury since March, is understood to have been briefed on the potential changes.
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Many of the companies seeking money using CLBILS are privately owned businesses, although some are also listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Data published last week showed that only 59 companies had so far been lent money - a total of £359m - under the scheme.
It is understood that if they go ahead, the CLBILS restrictions on dividends and share buybacks will apply only to loans made above the previous ceiling of £50m, although details were still being ironed out on Sunday.
Hundreds of major employers are expected to apply for CLBILS loans once the cap is lifted to £200m, although the restrictions on payouts could yet provide a deterrent.
Under the scheme, banks are accredited by the BBB to issue loans, with the government providing an 80pc guarantee.
Any changes to CLBILS could be unveiled alongside a widening of the eligibility criteria for the Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF), which allows investment grade-rated companies to issue short-term debt that is then bought by the Bank of England, bankers said.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:03 Chancellor warns of a 'significant recession'
It is conceivable that the dividend and share buyback restrictions being considered for CLBILS loan recipients could also be applied to companies using the CCFF, although it was unclear on Sunday whether that was being planned by ministers.
If the curbs were applied to investment-grade companies, it would deepen the dividend drought spreading across corporate Britain, potentially for several years.
Companies which have gained access to the CCF to date include easyJet, Greggs, Intercontinental Hotels Group and British Airways' parent, International Airlines Group.
The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, may announce the revised details to the Treasury's emergency schemes during the early part of this week, and possibly as soon as Monday.
CLBILS has already been the subject of several revisions, including lifting the maximum size of the loans and the turnover eligibility threshold for companies.
There have also been dividend restrictions built into the scheme since it launched, meaning that loan recipients would only be permitted to pay them if they were confident of repaying the loan.
However, the new conditions would go much further.
Previous changes to CLBILS were introduced amid concerns about a corporate 'squeezed middle', referring to businesses which fall between SMEs - which have access to the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, through which they can borrow up to £5m - and users of the CCFF.
Lenders accredited to issue loans under CLBILS include Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group and NatWest Holdings - the taxpayer-backed bank which until recently was known as RBS.
The loans are repayable over a maximum of three years.
Ironically, many of the banks which will now be issuing government-backed loans have themselves found themselves at the centre of a storm over dividends during the pandemic.
Fraught talks between the major high street lenders and banking regulators in February resulted in them abandoning their previously-announced 2019 payouts, and suspending dividends and share buybacks until the end of this year.
Dozens of FTSE-100 companies have already axed or cut dividends during the crisis, starving income investors of capital from reliable stocks such as BT Group and Royal Dutch Shell.
The Treasury and BBB declined to comment on Sunday.


news--2020-05-17--Coronavirus vaccine for 30 million Britons by September if trial succeeds

Plans are in place to roll out a COVID-19 vaccine to 30 million people by September if trials are successful , Business Secretary Alok Sharma has said .
It comes as the UK announced a further 170 deaths of people with coronavirus - the lowest since the day after lockdown began .
Speaking at Sunday 's Downing Street news conference , which was delayed due to technical difficulties , the cabinet minister said work by the University of Oxford to find an effective drug was `` progressing well '' .
But while pointing out the government had now committed more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ towards developing a COVID-19 vaccine in the UK , Mr Sharma warned there was no certainty one would ever be found .
He said : `` In order to definitively conquer this disease we need to find a safe , workable vaccine .
`` Last month I announced a new vaccine task force to co-ordinate the efforts of government , academia and industry in the critical mission to find a vaccine .
`` I 'm very proud of how quickly our scientists and researchers have come together in their efforts developing a vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added : `` The first clinical trial of the Oxford vaccine is progressing well with all phase one participants having received their vaccine dose on schedule earlier this week .
`` The speed at which Oxford University has designed and organised these complex trials is genuinely unprecedented . ''
The secretary of state also said Imperial College London was `` making good progress '' and would look to move into clinical trials for a vaccine by mid-June , with larger scale trials in October .
So far the government has invested £47m in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Sharma announced a further £84m in new funding `` to help accelerate their work '' .
He added : `` This new money will help mass-produce the Oxford vaccine so that if current trials are successful we have dosages to start vaccinating the UK population straight away . ''
He said the pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca had finalised a `` global licensing agreement '' with Oxford University with government support , and added : `` This means that if the vaccine is successful AstraZeneca will work to make 30 million doses available by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an agreement for over 100 million doses in total . ''
He said `` the UK will be first to get access '' but that the government would also ensure that `` we 're able to make the vaccine available to developing countries at the lowest possible cost '' .
: : Listen to Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Apple podcasts , Google podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Mr Sharma also announced the UK 's first vaccines manufacturing innovation centre is expected to open in summer 2021 , a year ahead of plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government cash .
He said : `` The centre , which is already under construction , will have capacity to produce enough vaccine doses to serve the entire UK population in as little as six months . ''
But with no guarantee of a successful vaccine being found , he also stressed the need to look at other drug treatments for those who get the virus .
He reported that six drugs have entered initial live clinical trials , which could be expanded if the results were positive .

Plans are in place to roll out a COVID-19 vaccine to 30 million people by September if trials are successful, Business Secretary Alok Sharma has said.
It comes as the UK announced a further 170 deaths of people with coronavirus - the lowest since the day after lockdown began.
Speaking at Sunday's Downing Street news conference, which was delayed due to technical difficulties, the cabinet minister said work by the University of Oxford to find an effective drug was "progressing well".
Image: The government has committed more than a quarter of a billion pounds towards developing a vaccine
But while pointing out the government had now committed more than a quarter of a billion pounds towards developing a COVID-19 vaccine in the UK, Mr Sharma warned there was no certainty one would ever be found.
He said: "In order to definitively conquer this disease we need to find a safe, workable vaccine.
"Last month I announced a new vaccine task force to co-ordinate the efforts of government, academia and industry in the critical mission to find a vaccine.
"I'm very proud of how quickly our scientists and researchers have come together in their efforts developing a vaccine that will combat coronavirus."
Image: The pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has finalised a 'global licensing agreement' with Oxford University
He added: "The first clinical trial of the Oxford vaccine is progressing well with all phase one participants having received their vaccine dose on schedule earlier this week.
"The speed at which Oxford University has designed and organised these complex trials is genuinely unprecedented."
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Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 22:07 Sophy Ridge On Sunday highlights
The secretary of state also said Imperial College London was "making good progress" and would look to move into clinical trials for a vaccine by mid-June, with larger scale trials in October.
So far the government has invested £47m in the Oxford and Imperial vaccine programmes. Mr Sharma announced a further £84m in new funding "to help accelerate their work".
He added: "This new money will help mass-produce the Oxford vaccine so that if current trials are successful we have dosages to start vaccinating the UK population straight away."
He said the pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca had finalised a "global licensing agreement" with Oxford University with government support, and added: "This means that if the vaccine is successful AstraZeneca will work to make 30 million doses available by September for the UK as part of an agreement for over 100 million doses in total."
He said "the UK will be first to get access" but that the government would also ensure that "we're able to make the vaccine available to developing countries at the lowest possible cost".
:: Listen to Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Mr Sharma also announced the UK's first vaccines manufacturing innovation centre is expected to open in summer 2021, a year ahead of plan, after receiving an extra £93m in government cash.
He said: "The centre, which is already under construction, will have capacity to produce enough vaccine doses to serve the entire UK population in as little as six months."
But with no guarantee of a successful vaccine being found, he also stressed the need to look at other drug treatments for those who get the virus.
He reported that six drugs have entered initial live clinical trials, which could be expanded if the results were positive.


news--2020-05-17--Coronavirus: NHS couple move into motorhome to protect family from COVID-19

Two junior doctors who were preparing to buy their first house as a married couple before the coronavirus crisis began have moved into a motorhome to protect their families from becoming infected .
Jared Leggett and wife Amy Kitchen had been living with their parents , but they are now staying in the vehicle in their hospital 's car park so that they can continue working without fear of spreading COVID-19 .
They work at The Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital in East Lancashire , and have been deployed to wards where coronavirus patients are being treated .
While community transmission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UK lockdown began , the R value , which measures the rate of infection between people , has risen slightly in recent days .
Government scientific advisers say this is because of the scale of infections in care homes and hospitals , meaning health and social care workers remain at a much higher risk of contracting the illness .
More than 100 healthcare staff have died in the UK since the pandemic began , including doctors , nurses , carers , porters , cleaners and paramedics .
The coronavirus can be so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals that most patients have not been allowed to say goodbye to their loved ones before passing away .
It has also put huge pressure on supplies of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) , with one recent survey suggesting that almost half of doctors have had to source their own gear or relied on donations .
There have also been other examples of healthcare workers going to extreme lengths to avoid potentially bringing coronavirus home to their families .
Like Jared and Amy , paramedic Danny Hughes moved out of his home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , from Newhaven , said he decided to move out because he deals with coronavirus patients every day and many of his family are in the high-risk group - including someone who is pregnant .
With one member of his household having developed symptoms , Mr Hughes explained he `` thought it was more advantageous to isolate myself temporarily '' .
He moved out in March so that he could continue working for the South East Coast Ambulance in East Sussex .
Since then , the UK has become one of the worst-hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 241,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 34,500 deaths .
Only the US and Russia have had more cases and only the US has reported more deaths , according to official figures being tracked by Johns Hopkins University .

Two junior doctors who were preparing to buy their first house as a married couple before the coronavirus crisis began have moved into a motorhome to protect their families from becoming infected.
Jared Leggett and wife Amy Kitchen had been living with their parents, but they are now staying in the vehicle in their hospital's car park so that they can continue working without fear of spreading COVID-19.
They work at The Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital in East Lancashire, and have been deployed to wards where coronavirus patients are being treated.
Image: The married couple are living in a motorhome in their hospital's car park
While community transmission of the disease has declined significantly since the UK lockdown began, the R value, which measures the rate of infection between people, has risen slightly in recent days.
Government scientific advisers say this is because of the scale of infections in care homes and hospitals, meaning health and social care workers remain at a much higher risk of contracting the illness.
Image: The couple work at The Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital
More than 100 healthcare staff have died in the UK since the pandemic began, including doctors, nurses, carers, porters, cleaners and paramedics.
The coronavirus can be so contagious in settings like care homes and hospitals that most patients have not been allowed to say goodbye to their loved ones before passing away.
It has also put huge pressure on supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), with one recent survey suggesting that almost half of doctors have had to source their own gear or relied on donations.
Image: Jared prepares to treat a recovering coronavirus patient
There have also been other examples of healthcare workers going to extreme lengths to avoid potentially bringing coronavirus home to their families.
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Like Jared and Amy, paramedic Danny Hughes moved out of his home and into a campervan.
The 28-year-old, from Newhaven, said he decided to move out because he deals with coronavirus patients every day and many of his family are in the high-risk group - including someone who is pregnant.
With one member of his household having developed symptoms, Mr Hughes explained he "thought it was more advantageous to isolate myself temporarily".
He moved out in March so that he could continue working for the South East Coast Ambulance in East Sussex.
Image: Danny Hughes is another NHS worker who moved out of his home to protect his family
Since then, the UK has become one of the worst-hit countries in the world, with more than 241,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 34,500 deaths.
Only the US and Russia have had more cases and only the US has reported more deaths, according to official figures being tracked by Johns Hopkins University.


news--2020-05-17--Coronavirus: Heathrow boss reveals future of travel could include immunity passports

The head of Heathrow has backed `` immunity passports '' being rolled out to let people jet off on holiday sooner .
John Holland-Kaye , chief executive of the busiest airport in Britain , said the documents could be issued to people who have already had coronavirus .
But he said there should be a universal system set up `` so that we know your health passport is accepted in the country you 're going to '' .
Speaking to Sky News , Mr Holland-Kaye called for flights to start again between `` low-risk '' countries to rebuild the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the COIVD-19 outbreak like tourism and aviation .
And he described how thermal imaging measures are being rolled out at Heathrow 's Terminal two from next week to screen people coming into the country .
`` We are working with Public Health England to see if that could be part of the solution to health screening at airports , '' Mr Holland-Kaye told the Sophy Ridge on Sunday show .
With passenger numbers plunging 97 % , from an average of 250,000 a day to between 5,000 and 6,000 , Mr Holland-Kaye @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minimal level of traffic and I think that as long as the quarantine is in place , that will continue at those low levels .
`` The quarantine can not be in place for more than a relatively short amount of time if we are going to get the economy moving again .
`` This is where we are urging the government to have a common international standard , working with other countries so that traffic can start to flow in a normal way between low-risk countries . ''
Ministers are planning to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantine for two weeks and download the new `` test , track and trace '' app currently being trialled on the Isle of Wight but soon to be rolled out across the country .
It is hoped the measure will stop a second peak of the virus , which has already killed at least 33,000 people in the UK .
Mr Holland-Kaye also welcomed the immunity passports idea , which has been suggested as a way to ease lockdown quicker for those who recover from COVID-19 and develop antibodies that could afford some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how much and for how long .
`` It 's no good the UK having a health passport if another country has an entirely different system , '' he explained .
`` We need to have that commonality between markets so that we know your health passport is accepted in the country you 're going to . ''

The head of Heathrow has backed "immunity passports" being rolled out to let people jet off on holiday sooner.
John Holland-Kaye, chief executive of the busiest airport in Britain, said the documents could be issued to people who have already had coronavirus.
But he said there should be a universal system set up "so that we know your health passport is accepted in the country you're going to".
Image: John Holland-Kaye wants flights to commence again between 'low-risk countries'
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Holland-Kaye called for flights to start again between "low-risk" countries to rebuild the economy, particularly in sectors hit so hard by the COIVD-19 outbreak like tourism and aviation.
And he described how thermal imaging measures are being rolled out at Heathrow's Terminal two from next week to screen people coming into the country.
"We are working with Public Health England to see if that could be part of the solution to health screening at airports," Mr Holland-Kaye told the Sophy Ridge on Sunday show.
With passenger numbers plunging 97%, from an average of 250,000 a day to between 5,000 and 6,000, Mr Holland-Kaye warned: "This is a very minimal level of traffic and I think that as long as the quarantine is in place, that will continue at those low levels.
Image: Heathrow has seen a 97% drop in passengers
"The quarantine cannot be in place for more than a relatively short amount of time if we are going to get the economy moving again.
"This is where we are urging the government to have a common international standard, working with other countries so that traffic can start to flow in a normal way between low-risk countries."
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Ministers are planning to tell anyone arriving in the UK to quarantine for two weeks and download the new "test, track and trace" app currently being trialled on the Isle of Wight but soon to be rolled out across the country.
Image: Anyone arriving in the UK could face having to go into quarantine for two weeks
It is hoped the measure will stop a second peak of the virus, which has already killed at least 33,000 people in the UK.
Mr Holland-Kaye also welcomed the immunity passports idea, which has been suggested as a way to ease lockdown quicker for those who recover from COVID-19 and develop antibodies that could afford some immunity - but scientists are not sure how much and for how long.
"It's no good the UK having a health passport if another country has an entirely different system," he explained.
"We need to have that commonality between markets so that we know your health passport is accepted in the country you're going to."


news--2020-05-17--Coronavirus: Impact of COVID-19 is significantly less in children, says Michael Gove

Children are `` significantly less '' affected by coronavirus , a senior minister has told Sky News , as the government attempts to allay fears about some schools reopening from June .
Michael Gove said pupils and staff will be “ as safe as possible ” when kids in reception , year one and year six return to the classroom across England next month .
He played down fears as doctors , nurses , teachers and councils deepened their criticism of the COVID-19 lockdown being eased too early .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has admitted his new “ stay alert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as public approval for his handling of the crisis dropped sharply and the death toll in the UK rose above 34,000 .
Despite Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland keeping strict social distancing in place , measures in England have been slightly relaxed to allow anyone who can not do their job at home to go back into work , when it is safe to do so .
Schools have been put on notice to reopen to some children in several weeks , while some shops forced to close more than two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start trading again from July .
Talks between teachers ' union representatives and government scientific advisers , intended to provide assurance about the government 's proposals to enable children to return safely , ended on Friday with union leaders saying the meeting had raised more questions than answers .
Cities such as Liverpool have also said they will not start reopening schools in June as the government wants .
Mr Gove said the UK was following the likes of Denmark in reopening schools safely - citing academy chain heads and a private school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We can provide a safe environment for teachers and for children , '' he told Sky News ’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday show .
`` We can also ensure that children , particularly those from the least advantaged homes , have the benefit of a good education so that they can begin to make up on some of the progress that will inevitably have been lost during this period of lockdown . ''
He added : `` We know that children contract coronavirus but the impact is significantly less .
`` They are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to have serious symptoms than older citizens . ''
Mr Gove revealed around 17,000 workers have now been recruited for the government ’ s `` test , track and trace '' programme to track down people with the virus and others who have come into close contact with them to urge them all to go into self-isolation .
He added it will be up and running by the end of May , when testing capacity should be up to 200,000 a day .
But Labour said schools shouldn ’ t be forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system is properly up and running and wants the government to publish its scientific advice behind the decision to open schools .
`` The anxiety teachers and parents face would be a lot less if we had that test , trace and isolate strategy in place , '' shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves told Sky News .
`` We want that to be up and running to ease the whole range of the lockdown restrictions… '' The government has got a lot more work to do to give that confidence that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming into school in two weeks ' time . ''

Children are "significantly less" affected by coronavirus, a senior minister has told Sky News, as the government attempts to allay fears about some schools reopening from June.
Michael Gove said pupils and staff will be “as safe as possible” when kids in reception, year one and year six return to the classroom across England next month.
He played down fears as doctors, nurses, teachers and councils deepened their criticism of the COVID-19 lockdown being eased too early.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:59 Labour wants 'less rhetoric and more evidence' on schools reopening
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has admitted his new “stay alert” message has caused “frustration”, as public approval for his handling of the crisis dropped sharply and the death toll in the UK rose above 34,000.
Despite Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland keeping strict social distancing in place, measures in England have been slightly relaxed to allow anyone who cannot do their job at home to go back into work, when it is safe to do so.
Schools have been put on notice to reopen to some children in several weeks, while some shops forced to close more than two months ago have been told they could start trading again from July.
Talks between teachers' union representatives and government scientific advisers, intended to provide assurance about the government's proposals to enable children to return safely, ended on Friday with union leaders saying the meeting had raised more questions than answers.
Cities such as Liverpool have also said they will not start reopening schools in June as the government wants.
Image: Children in three year groups are expected to return to school in England next month
Mr Gove said the UK was following the likes of Denmark in reopening schools safely - citing academy chain heads and a private school body that back the move.
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"We can provide a safe environment for teachers and for children," he told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday show.
"We can also ensure that children, particularly those from the least advantaged homes, have the benefit of a good education so that they can begin to make up on some of the progress that will inevitably have been lost during this period of lockdown."
He added: "We know that children contract coronavirus but the impact is significantly less.
"They are less likely to have symptoms, less likely to have serious symptoms than older citizens."
Mr Gove revealed around 17,000 workers have now been recruited for the government’s "test, track and trace" programme to track down people with the virus and others who have come into close contact with them to urge them all to go into self-isolation.
He added it will be up and running by the end of May, when testing capacity should be up to 200,000 a day.
But Labour said schools shouldn’t be forced to reopen fully until the contact tracing system is properly up and running and wants the government to publish its scientific advice behind the decision to open schools.
"The anxiety teachers and parents face would be a lot less if we had that test, trace and isolate strategy in place," shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves told Sky News.
"We want that to be up and running to ease the whole range of the lockdown restrictions…
"The government has got a lot more work to do to give that confidence that it'll be safe to have more children coming into school in two weeks' time."