bbc--2020-04-27--Coronavirus: How long does it take to recover?

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has returned to work after recovering from Covid-19 , but for many patients it could take a long time to get back to full health .
Recovery time will depend on how sick you became in the first place .
Some people will shrug off the illness fast , but for others it could leave lasting problems .
Age , gender and other health issues all increase the risk of becoming more seriously ill from Covid-19 .
The more invasive the treatment you receive , and the longer it is performed , the longer recovery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have only mild symptoms ?
Most people who get Covid-19 will develop only the main symptoms - a cough or fever .
But they could experience body aches , fatigue , sore throat and headache .
The cough is initially dry , but some people will eventually start coughing up mucus containing dead lung cells killed by the virus .
These symptoms are treated with bed rest , plenty of fluids and pain relief such as paracetamol .
People with mild symptoms should make a good and speedy recovery .
The fever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , although the cough may linger .
A World Health Organization ( WHO ) analysis of Chinese data says it takes two weeks on average to recover .
What if I have more serious symptoms ?
The disease can become much more serious for some .
This tends to happen about seven to 10 days into the infection .
The transformation can be sudden .
Breathing becomes difficult and the lungs get inflamed .
This is because although the body 's immune system is trying to fight back - it 's actually overreacting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some people will need to be in hospital for oxygen therapy .
GP Sarah Jarvis says : `` The shortness of breath may take some considerable time to improve ... the body is getting over scarring and inflammation . ''
She says it could take two to eight weeks to recover , with tiredness lingering .
What if I need intensive care ?
The WHO estimates one person in 20 will need intensive care treatment , which can include being sedated and put on a ventilator .
It will take time to recover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical care unit ( ICU ) , no matter what the illness .
Patients are moved to a regular ward before going home .
Dr Alison Pittard , Dean of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine , says it can take 12 to 18 months to get back to normal after any spell in critical care .
Spending a long time in a hospital bed leads to muscle mass loss .
Patients will be weak and muscle will take time to build up again .
Some people will need physiotherapy to walk again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through in ICU , there 's also the possibility of delirium and psychological disorders .
`` There does seem to be an added element with this disease - viral fatigue is definitely a huge factor , '' says Paul Twose , critical care physiotherapist at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board .
There have been reports from China and Italy of whole-body weakness , shortness of breath after any level of exertion , persistent coughing and irregular breathing .
Plus needing a lot of sleep .
`` We do know patients take a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recover . ''
But it is hard to generalise .
Some people spend relatively short periods in critical care , while others are ventilated for weeks .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak • STRESS : How to look after your mental health We do n't know for sure as there is no long-term data , but we can look at other conditions .
Acute respiratory distress syndrome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose immune systems go into overdrive , causing damage to the lungs .
`` There is really good data that , even five years down the line , people can have ongoing physical and psychological difficulties , '' says Mr Twose .
Dr James Gill , a GP and lecturer at Warwick Medical School , says people also need mental health support to improve recovery .
`` You 're finding breathing difficult , then the doctor says 'We need to put you on a ventilator .
We need to put you to sleep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to your family ? '
.
`` PTSD [ post-traumatic stress disorder ] in these most severe patients is not unsurprising .
There will be significant psychological scars for many . ''
There remains the possibility that even some mild cases may leave patients with long-term health problems - such as fatigue .
How many people have recovered ?
Getting an accurate figure is difficult .
As of 26 April , Johns Hopkins University reported about 820,000 people had recovered out of 2.9 million people who had been infected .
But countries use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publishing recovery figures and many mild infections will be missed .
Mathematical models have estimated between 99-99.5 % of people recover .
There has been much speculation , but little evidence , on how durable any immunity is .
If patients have successfully fought off the virus , they must have built up an immune response .
Reports of patients being infected twice may just be down to tests incorrectly recording they were free of the virus .
The immunity question is vital for understanding whether people can be reinfected and how effective @ @ @ @ @

More than one million people around the world are known to have recovered from coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University. But the road back to full health is not the same for everyone.


bbc--2020-04-28--Trump 'can't imagine why' US disinfectant calls spiked

President Donald Trump has said he `` ca n't imagine why '' US hotline calls about disinfectant have risen after he suggested injecting the substance to treat coronavirus .
The governors of Michigan and Maryland on Sunday blamed the president for the spike in such calls .
Following heavy criticism from medical professionals , Mr Trump said his remarks were made sarcastically .
Disinfectants are hazardous substances and can be poisonous if ingested .
During Monday 's Covid-19 news conference , a reporter noted that the state of Maryland 's emergency hotline had received hundreds of calls in recent days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I ca n't imagine why , '' the president said , moving quickly on .
`` I ca n't imagine that . ''
When asked whether he took responsibility at all for the increase in calls , Mr Trump replied : `` No , I do n't . ''
Last week , the Maryland governor 's office said it had issued a statewide alert warning against ingesting or injecting disinfectants following the president 's remarks .
Mr Trump made the disinfectant remarks on Thursday , after an official presented the results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be killed in minutes by bleach .
`` I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute .
One minute , '' Mr Trump said .
`` And is there a way we can do something like that , by injection inside or almost a cleaning ? ''
On Friday afternoon , Mr Trump told journalists : `` I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen . ''
• The fake health advice you should ignore • Will coronavirus go away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rose Garden press conference , Mr Trump was also asked whether he would delay the presidential election in November .
`` I never even thought of changing the date of the election , '' he said .
`` Why would I do that ? ''
Former US Vice-President Joe Biden , Mr Trump 's presumptive Democratic opponent , said last week he thought Mr Trump would `` try to kick back the election somehow '' .
But Mr Trump told reporters the idea was `` made-up propaganda '' .
`` I look forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Constitutional scholars have already noted that if a president wanted to change the timing of a White House election he would be unable to do so - even in an emergency - because the date is set by Congress .
Mr Trump was also asked by a reporter if a president who has lost more Americans over six weeks than died during the two decades of the Vietnam war deserved to be re-elected .
He said his administration had done an `` unbelievable '' job .
The total number of confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million .
There have been over 55,000 deaths thus far .

"I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute," Mr Trump said. "And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?"


bbc--2020-04-27--Coronavirus: What Trump voters think of his handling of crisis

Three Americans who voted for Donald Trump in 2016 rate the US president 's response to the virus , including @ @ @ @ @ .
While the two from Tennessee and North Carolina praise Mr Trump for his decisions @ @ @ @ @ is frustrated by the lack of a consistent message .
BBC News first spoke to @ @ @ @ @ 's inauguration in January 2017 and has caught up with them several times since .

Three Americans who voted for Donald Trump in 2016 rate the US president's response to the virus, including his recent comments about disinfectant.
While the two from Tennessee and North Carolina praise Mr Trump for his decisions, one supporter from Indiana is frustrated by the lack of a consistent message.
BBC News first spoke to these voters before the president's inauguration in January 2017 and has caught up with them several times since.
Video journalist: Chloe Kim


bbc--2020-04-27--Coronavirus: Boris Johnson says this is moment of maximum risk

The UK is at the moment of maximum risk in the coronavirus outbreak , Boris Johnson has said , as he urged people not to lose patience with the lockdown .
Speaking outside No 10 for the first time since recovering from the virus , Mr Johnson said `` we are now beginning to turn the tide '' on the disease .
He said lockdown would not be relaxed too soon and details on any changes will be set out over the `` coming days '' .
But some paused NHS England services , such as cancer care , are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NHS and social care staff who die with coronavirus will receive a £60,000 compensation payment , the government has announced .
• 'When will I be able to hug my grandchildren ? '
It comes as the latest daily figures show a further 360 people died with the virus in hospitals , taking the total number of deaths to 21,092 .
This number includes 82 NHS staff and 16 care workers who have died in hospital in England .
The UK deaths figure do not include people who died in the community , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who have died in their own homes .
The prime minister returned to Downing Street on Sunday after more than three weeks off sick .
Mr Johnson said he understood concerns from business owners who were impatient to end the lockdown .
But ending it too soon could lead to a second spike in cases and cause more deaths , `` economic disaster '' and restrictions being reintroduced , he said .
He said there were `` real signs now that we are passing through the peak '' - including with fewer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intensive care .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise And comparing the outbreak to someone being attacked , Mr Johnson said : `` If this virus were a physical assailant , an unexpected and invisible mugger - which I can tell you from personal experience , it is - then this is the moment when we have begun together to wrestle it to the floor ... the moment when we can press home our advantage '' .
Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the five tests for easing restrictions - including a consistent fall in the death rate and making sure the NHS can cope - `` then that will be the time to move on to the second phase '' in the fight against the outbreak .
A Downing Street spokesman said there could be more on how the government will judge the country 's ability to `` move forward '' by the end of the week .
Labour 's environment spokesman Luke Pollard welcomed signs the government would be more transparent about exiting lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government to publish its strategy .
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told the Scottish government 's daily briefing , it was `` not the time to throw caution to the wind '' and lift lockdown measures - although there had been `` real signs of progress '' .
Speaking at the Downing Street briefing later , the UK government 's chief medical adviser , Prof Chris Whitty , said scientists were trying to asses how `` opening up of different bits of society '' would affect the spread of he virus .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' and ministers would face `` very difficult choices '' about what measures could be lifted .
The political could hardly be more personal .
But the prime minister 's return to work and return to health is far from a metaphor for the country making a quick recovery from the crisis .
In contrast , Boris Johnson 's statement at the lectern this morning was a request to the public to be patient , to keep going , to hold firm through the frustrations of living life mainly behind closed doors for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among the public , increasing volume in his own party , and from the opposition for a clearer route out of this , for the prime minister it 's not yet the time to give more detail - and certainly not yet the time to change any of the restrictions .
And when that time is reached , when the infection rate is deemed low enough , he was clear , that there will be no sudden nirvana - life in the 'next phase ' will be a slow return of a more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being swayed by demands to open up the economy much more swiftly .
Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced plans at the briefing to restart some NHS services in England , which had been paused to help the health service cope during the outbreak .
Mr Hancock said the `` most urgent '' services - such as cancer care and mental health support - would be restored first , starting on Tuesday .
`` The exact pace of the restoration will be determined by local circumstances on the ground , according to local need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases that that hospital is having to deal with , '' he said .
The health secretary also announced details of a life assurance scheme for NHS and social care workers who die on the front line with Covid 19 .
He said the government wanted to do `` everything we can to support families '' dealing with their grief and was `` looking at other professions '' the scheme could be expanded to include .
Mr Hancock has set a target of carrying out 100,000 tests a day for coronavirus across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Health figures show 37,024 tests were carried out on Sunday - still far short of the target .
Mr Hancock said he was still confident of reaching the target , which he said would be `` big enough '' to support the next phase of the government 's strategy to `` test , track and trace '' .
Downing Street said it could take a `` couple of days or more '' before it was clear if the 100,000 target has been met as there was a `` time lag '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as on home testing kits .
Mr Hancock said the government is still aiming to eventually conduct 250,000 tests a day .
This would include antibody tests , but he said these are yet to be `` clinically valid '' .
Monday 's daily briefing was the first to feature a question from a member of the public .
Lynne from Skipton , North Yorkshire , said she missed her grandchildren and wanted to know whether allowing family to hug would be one of the first steps when restrictions are eventually eased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought home the emotional impact of lockdown '' and that he hoped it would be allowed `` as soon as possible '' .
Anyone over the age of 18 can now submit a question for those at the daily briefing which will be chosen by an independent polling organisation .
Health secretary Matt Hancock was certainly bullish about the government 's testing strategy at the daily briefing .
The numbers being tested are going up and there is certainly capacity to process more - three mega labs are now open in Glasgow , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem in the UK though is more to do with giving people easy access to tests .
To date , the UK has relied on hospitals and drive-thru centres to carry out the swab tests .
But to make it more convenient home testing kits are now being offered and mobile units staffed by the army are in operation .
The smooth rollout of these will be essential if numbers are to continue climbing and ministers then succeed in moving to the `` test , track and trace '' strategy once lockdown restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this means providing access to tests to the general public - at the moment only hospital patients , care home residents and essential workers are entitled to them .
But even these restricted groups have been enough to overwhelm the system - the online booking system has had to be closed at points because demand has been too high .
There is , it is fair to say , plenty of work still to do .
Elsewhere , the Treasury has announced extra loans for small businesses , after they raised concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schemes .
Chancellor Rishi Sunak told the Commons the scheme would start next week , offering loans to small firms for 25 % of turnover , up to £50,000 , within days of applying .
The loans would be interest free for the first 12 months , he added .
Loans to larger businesses under the coronavirus business interruption loans scheme will continue to get 80 % government-backing .
Mr Johnson was diagnosed with the virus a month ago .
He was admitted to St Thomas ' Hospital in central London on 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including three nights in intensive care .
He has not been doing any official government work during his convalescence at his country residence , Chequers , although last week he did speak to the Queen and US President Donald Trump , as well as meeting senior ministers .
• What are the five tests for ending lockdown ?
Strict limits on daily life - such as requiring people to stay at home , shutting many businesses and preventing gatherings of more than two people - were introduced on 23 March , as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
Ministers are required by law to assess whether the rules are working , based on expert advice , every three weeks .
The next review is due by next Thursday 7 May .
• The number of cases globally has passed three million , according to data collected by the Johns Hopkins University • British doctors are being urged to look out for a rare but dangerous reaction in children which it 's thought may be linked to coronavirus • The UK 's coronavirus contact-tracing app is set to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple and Google , despite privacy concerns • The head of England 's schools watchdog , Ofsted , has said it is in children 's interests to return to school `` as soon as possible '' • Plans to resume the Premier League season will step up this week in what has been labelled `` Project Restart '' • Greggs has announced plans to trial reopening some of its bakeries from next Monday • The boss of retail chain Timpson has warned some UK High Street shops will not survive the coronavirus lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community transmission of Covid-19 , effectively eliminating the virus • Italy has outlined its plans to ease restrictions , allowing more businesses to open and people to visit relatives in small numbers

And comparing the outbreak to someone being attacked, Mr Johnson said: "If this virus were a physical assailant, an unexpected and invisible mugger - which I can tell you from personal experience, it is - then this is the moment when we have begun together to wrestle it to the floor... the moment when we can press home our advantage".


bbc--2020-04-27--Coronavirus: Nigeria to ease Abuja and Lagos lockdowns on 4 May

Nigeria will begin a `` gradual easing '' of coronavirus-related lockdowns in the federal capital territory of Abuja , and Lagos and Ogun states from 4 May .
The lockdowns had been due to end on Monday night , but President Muhammadu Buhari said they needed to continue .
He also ordered new nationwide measures against Covid-19 , including a night-time curfew and mandatory face masks .
The moves would ensure the economy functioned `` while still maintaining our aggressive response '' , Mr Buhari said .
Earlier , workers at a construction site in Lagos rioted in protest at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the workers at the Lekki Free Trade zone - including those at the oil refinery of billionaire Aliko Dangote - went on the rampage and injured several officers in the area .
Fifty-one people were arrested , he added .
There are reports that the protesters were angry that some foreign nationals were allowed to go to work at the site .
• Why some Nigerians are gloating about coronavirus • Africa could be next coronavirus epicentre - WHO Nigeria , Africa 's most-populous nation and largest economy , has reported 1,273 confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a televised address on Monday night , Mr Buhari acknowledged that the lockdowns in Abuja , Lagos and Ogun had `` come at a very heavy economic cost '' since they began on 30 March .
`` Many of our citizens have lost their means of livelihood .
Many businesses have shut down , '' he said .
He added : `` No country can afford the full impact of a sustained lockdown while awaiting the development of vaccines . ''
The president said there would therefore be a `` phased and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday to allow some economic activities to resume .
But to limit the spread of Covid-19 , he announced that the government would impose a curfew across the country between 20:00 and 06:00 , require everyone to wear face masks in public , and stop `` non-essential inter-state passenger travel '' .
Bans on social and religious gatherings will also remain in place .
Mr Buhari also expressed deep concern over the unexplained deaths of a number of people in the northern state of Kano .
He said a lockdown would be imposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that he was sending a government team to investigate .

But to limit the spread of Covid-19, he announced that the government would impose a curfew across the country between 20:00 and 06:00, require everyone to wear face masks in public, and stop "non-essential inter-state passenger travel".


bbc--2020-04-27--Coronavirus: Families foster pets during outbreak

Animal shelters in a number of countries have reported a surge in requests to foster an animal during the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ this is welcome news as they struggle with a smaller workforce or being forced to @ @ @ @ @ based charities have suspended fostering temporarily and there have been renewed warnings that a pet @ @ @ @ @

Animal shelters in a number of countries have reported a surge in requests to foster an animal during the coronavirus pandemic.
For some facilities this is welcome news as they struggle with a smaller workforce or being forced to close.
But some UK based charities have suspended fostering temporarily and there have been renewed warnings that a pet is a long-term commitment.
Produced by Olivia Lang


bbc--2020-04-27--Gay men abused in Morocco after photos spread online

Gay men are being harassed and abused in Morocco after photos taken from gay chat apps were circulated online .
Photos spread after a social media influencer told her followers to make fake accounts on apps to see how common homosexuality is .
Homosexuality is illegal in the conservative Muslim country , which is in lockdown because of coronavirus .
The restrictions mean many men are unable to leave their homes where families abuse them , activists say .
One man , a student who returned from France during the lockdown , killed himself after being identified as gay , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who support gay men in Morocco have told BBC News that men are being harassed and are at risk in the country after the photos spread .
Samir el Mouti runs a Facebook group called The Moroccan LGBT Community , which gives advice and support to LGBT people , many of whom conceal their sexuality .
The number of men reporting abuse and asking for help has increased since the online campaign began , says Mr Mouti , who left Morocco to study for a PhD in the UK .
One man contacted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like `` a dead man '' .
`` I 'm in great trouble .
Everyone knows now that I 'm homosexual , and my neighbour sexually harassed me , so I decided to flee , '' he told the group .
`` I have nowhere to go - especially during lockdown . ''
You might also be interested in : • How Morocco became a haven for gay westerners in the 1950s • Why are some places gay-friendly and others not ?
• ' I 'm stuck in isolation with my homophobic parents' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influencer Sofia Taloni used an Instagram Live to encourage women in Morocco to set up fake accounts on gay chat apps .
In doing so , she said they would discover how many men use the platforms , including potentially `` their husbands and brothers '' .
She said her aim was to call out hypocrisy in Moroccan society by showing people how many men are secretly gay in the country .
Many men use apps including Grindr as a way to connect in private , because LGBT organisations or meeting places are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraging men to close their accounts to protect themselves .
However , photos of men quickly started circulating on other social media platforms , resulting in their abuse and harassment .
Ms Taloni herself had received the support of the Moroccan LGBT Community Facebook group in recent months , the group says .
The LGBT community in Morocco routinely faces discrimination and violence , but this campaign coincides with lockdown and the holy month of Ramadan .
`` It 's a double-edged sword .
You might be in lockdown with homophobic family , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerned about morality , and things might get heated , '' Mr Mouti explains .
`` A lot of people become a watchdog for so-called wrongdoings and they are outing people , calling on them to repent , '' Mr Mouti explains .
NGOs Nassawiyat and Kif Kif are also supporting men who have been outed .
If men feel forced out of their homes because of intimidation , they have nowhere to stay because hotels are closed and special permission is required to travel between cities , the organisations told BBC News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave their homes are in `` severe situations '' with their families , Nassawiyat explained .
Facebook , which owns Instagram , has suspended Ms Taloni 's account .
The company told Reuters it was `` taking proactive steps to find and remove other content like this '' .
But victims of abuse and harassment can expect no support from the police or government , activists say .
`` The law is not on their side - that makes the situation dangerous because people can not report crimes to the police and ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Human Rights Watch is calling on the Moroccan government to enforce the right to privacy and decriminalise same-sex relations .
`` The Moroccan authorities should immediately step in to protect LGBT people 's privacy and repeal anti-LGBT laws that can only fuel this homophobic behaviour , '' it said in a statement on Monday .
`` What we 've seen is just the tip of the iceberg - many people are suffering in silence , '' Mr Mouti says .

If men feel forced out of their homes because of intimidation, they have nowhere to stay because hotels are closed and special permission is required to travel between cities, the organisations told BBC News.


bbc--2020-04-27--Coronavirus: Belgians urged to eat more chips by lockdown-hit potato growers

Belgians are well known for loving chips ( frites ) , often with a big dollop of mayonnaise , but hard-up farmers now want them to eat chips twice a week .
Romain Cools of the potato growers ' union Belgapom presented it as a matter of survival , as a major export sector fears ruin in the coronavirus crisis .
About 750,000 tonnes of potatoes are piled up in Belgian warehouses , as the lockdown has sent orders plummeting .
`` Let 's all eat chips twice a week , instead of just once , '' Mr Cools urged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and many other markets for potato growers have closed .
The cancellation of Belgium 's many spring and summer festivals has added to their woes .
Moreover , the international trade in potatoes has been hit .
Belgium is one of the world 's top exporters of potato products , including frozen chips .
It sends more than 1.5m tonnes annually to more than 100 countries .
• Five ways coronavirus is disrupting the food industry One small bright spot in this story is that Belgapom will now deliver 25 tonnes of potatoes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - produce that will otherwise simply rot , Belgian media report .
`` In this way , part of the potato stock will still be used and we can avoid seeing excellent food , for which our farmers have worked so hard , being lost , '' Flemish Agriculture Minister Hilde Crevits told the Brussels Times .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to look after your mental health The potato crisis has also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that includes Calais .
There , almost 500,000 tonnes of potatoes are still waiting for customers , and will most likely be lost .
A Belgian grower quoted by broadcaster RTBF , John Van Merhaeghe , doubted that he would get any decent offers from potato processing plants for his surplus .
`` At best , if they buy any extra it 'll be for €15 ( £13 ; $ 16 ) a tonne - 10 times less than the price marked in the contracts .
Fifteen euros is the rate they give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Another grower , who declined to be named , called on Belgium 's federal government to provide aid , saying the Netherlands was providing €50 per tonne for Dutch growers , `` and so far we have nothing like that '' .
Meanwhile , RTBF reports that some surplus stocks might end up as biofuel to generate electricity .

"In this way, part of the potato stock will still be used and we can avoid seeing excellent food, for which our farmers have worked so hard, being lost," Flemish Agriculture Minister Hilde Crevits told the Brussels Times.


bbc--2020-04-27--More US states begin lifting virus lockdown orders

More US states are beginning to lift lockdown orders even as US leaders say social distancing guidelines will be necessary throughout the summer .
But governors warn that life will not quickly return to normal , and that restrictions will remain in some places to keep the virus from resurging .
On Friday , the US saw its largest single-day spike in cases .
But the infection rate has dropped significantly in several hotspots , including New York , the US epicentre .
As of Monday , the US has over 979,000 recorded coronavirus cases , according to Johns Hopkins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Public health experts warn that lifting restrictions too soon could cause a second wave of infections .
The decision to end mandatory orders comes as over 26m Americans seek unemployment protection , and the jobless rate climbs to around 16 % of the population .
Even as state governors allow orders to expire , some city mayors have issued their own separate plans to end local lockdowns rules .
• Why was top Republican likened to Marie Antoinette ?
At one point , over 90 % of the US population was under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began lifting orders over the weekend allowing some Americans to return to hair salons and tattoo parlours .
Georgia , Oklahoma , Alaska and South Carolina have already allowed some businesses to reopen .
They and other states have issued plans that call for more rules to be relaxed in the coming week .
Colorado 's Democratic Governor Jared Polis has said kerb-side retail pickup can begin on Monday , with hair salons , barbershop and tattoo parlours allowed to reopen on Friday .
Tennessee will allow restaurants to reopen on Monday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown order expires .
Montana 's governor has allowed churches to reopen starting on Sunday , with social distancing measures still required .
Restaurants and schools will be allowed to reopen on 7 May .
Eight states led by Republican governors - Arkansas , Iowa , Nebraska , North Dakota , Oklahoma , South Dakota , Utah and Wyoming - never issued mandatory orders to stay at home .
Michigan 's Democratic governor , who has angered protesters with her lockdown orders , told ABC News that it is too early to lift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We 've got to be nimble and we have to follow the science and be really smart about how we reengage , '' said Gov Gretchen Whitmer .
Despite a state-wide order to stay-at-home in California , thousands of people have flocked to beaches amid a heat wave .
But officials in both Ventura and Orange Counties , where beaches are open , said most people were adhering to social distancing guidelines , including staying 6ft ( 2m ) apart .
Many beaches are still closed , leading the sheriff of LA County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in full effect '' .
Texas ' governor said he will not renew the states stay-at-home order when it expires on 30 April because it already `` has done its job '' .
Republican Greg Abbott said on Monday that retail business as well as restaurants , cinemas and malls can reopen - but at only 25 % capacity - starting on Friday .
Barbershops , hair salons , pubs and gyms can not reopen until later in May , the governor said .
• The US governor who saw it coming early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been praised for his virus response , said that non-essential surgery that does not require an overnight hospital stay can resume on 1 May .
On 4 May , offices can reopen and on 12 May retail business can resume .
`` These are first steps , '' Mr DeWine said .
`` We 've got to get moving . ''
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• LEADING THE WAY : How California kept ahead of the curve • ON FRONTLINE : The young doctors being asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The good that may come out of this crisis What have officials said ?
On Sunday , White House coronavirus taskforce co-ordinator Dr Deborah Birx said social distancing will remain the norm `` through the summer to really ensure that we protect one another as we move through these phases '' .
Her comments come after Vice-President Mike Pence said the virus would be largely `` behind us '' by the 25 May Memorial Day holiday , which signals the unofficial start of summertime in the US .
Dr Birx told Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths `` will be dramatically decreased by the end of May '' .
On Monday , New York Governor Andrew Cuomo suggested some parts of his state could begin to reopen after the current stay-at-home order expires on 15 May .
The governor said that transmission rates , as well as death rates , would dictate how and when the state reopens .
He urged local officials to follow national health guidelines for reopening and work together regionally , saying : `` You have to be smart about it - we all have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Cuomo also noted he would extend restrictions in many parts of the state .
There are still 1,000 new Covid-19 cases confirmed each day in New York .
The death rate has dropped in New York , with 337 deaths on Sunday , compared to 367 deaths on Saturday and 437 on Friday .
It represents the lowest increase since 30 March .

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bbc--2020-04-27--Coronavirus: UK failed to stockpile crucial PPE

The government failed to buy crucial protective equipment to cope with a pandemic , a BBC investigation has found .
There were no gowns , visors , swabs or body bags in the government 's pandemic stockpile when Covid-19 reached the UK .
NHS staff say they are being put at risk because of the shortage of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) .
The government said it has taken the right steps and is doing everything it can to increase stocks .
The investigation by BBC Panorama found that vital items were left out of the stockpile when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government subsequently ignored a warning from its own advisers to buy missing equipment .
• Why some NHS workers are wearing bin bags • Are NHS staff getting enough protective gear ?
The expert committee that advises the government on pandemics , the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group ( Nervtag ) , recommended the purchase of gowns last June .
Gowns are currently one of the items in shortest supply in the UK and they are now difficult to source because of the global shortage of PPE .
Doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also shortages of the life-saving FFP3 respirator masks .
Panorama has discovered that millions of FFP3 respirator masks are unaccounted for .
There were 33 million on the original 2009 procurement list for the stockpile , but only 12 million have been handed out .
The government refuses to explain where the other masks have gone .
A government spokesperson said there was `` limited demand '' for the masks coming through the Supply Disruption Line , `` which is one reason why they have n't all been distributed '' .
They added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the advisory group and would be procured for the `` future stockpile build up alongside all other necessary equipment '' .
Panorama has spoken to a number of NHS insiders about PPE who wish to remain anonymous .
`` There is a complete lack of transparency from the government .
They are creating panic , as we do n't know if they can supply us so we are scrambling to get it elsewhere , '' a head of procurement told the programme .
The government also failed to stockpile visors , the swabs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed for the dead .
Professor John Ashton , a public health expert and long-standing critic of the government , told the programme the lack of preparation was breathtaking .
`` The consequence of not planning ; not ordering kit ; not having stockpiles is that we are sending into the front line doctors , nurses , other health workers and social care workers without the equipment to keep them safe , '' he said .
A government spokesperson said the stockpile was designed for a flu pandemic and that Covid-19 is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They said swabs and body bags were not recommended by Nervtag historically , but eye protection was , so the stockpile contains safety glasses .
• EASY STEPS : How to keep safe • A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• CONTAINMENT : What it means to self-isolate • HEALTH MYTHS : The fake advice you should ignore • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak Panorama also investigated changes to the government guidance on what PPE NHS staff should wear .
In January this year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Infectious Disease ( HCID ) .
The decision was made in consultation with a group of British experts .
A Health and Safety Executive evaluation of PPE published in 2019 had already recommended that all healthcare workers should wear a gown , FFP3 respirator mask and visor when dealing with HCIDs .
Those recommendations were in line with existing UK guidance .
But on 13 March this year , the government downgraded its guidance on PPE and told NHS staff they were safe to wear less protective aprons and basic surgical masks in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Panorama understands that on the same day , the government took steps to remove Covid-19 from the list of HCIDs .
But the experts who had recommended the coronavirus be put on the list in the first place were not consulted .
Instead , the government asked its Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens ( ACDP ) .
Panorama has discovered that the ACDP was only asked to consider the matter on the morning of its 13 March meeting .
It was added to the committee 's agenda under `` any other business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remove Covid-19 from the HCID list , but sources on that committee have told Panorama that it had to be , in part , a pragmatic decision based on the availability of PPE .
It was another six days before Public Health England announced that the coronavirus was no longer considered an HCID .
A government spokesperson said Covid-19 was taken off the list because it has a low overall mortality rate and there is now greater clinical awareness and a specific laboratory test for the virus .
They added the committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered an HCID was based entirely on scientific considerations .
`` The HCID classification is used for serious infections where there are limited numbers of cases requiring specialist input and facilities , '' the spokesperson said .
`` This is an unprecedented global pandemic and we have taken the right steps at the right time to combat it , guided at all times by the best scientific advice .
`` The government has been working day and night to battle against coronavirus , delivering a strategy designed at all times to protect our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can watch the full Panorama programme , Has the Government Failed the NHS ?
on iPlayer here .

"Like every other country in the world, [the virus] is unprecedented and the requirements for PPE have risen exponentially and we are doing our absolute best to address those needs and will continue to do so throughout this crisis," she said.


bbc--2020-04-27--Major film festivals to unite for YouTube event

Major film festivals - including Berlin , Cannes , Toronto and Venice - are to join forces for an online event .
We Are One : A Global Film Festival , will be hosted by YouTube from 29 May .
It comes after coronavirus caused disruption to many international events , as the film industry ground to a halt .
The 10-day digital alternative will help to raise funds for the World Health Organization ( WHO ) 's Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund and beyond .
Twenty festivals from around the world are involved including BFI London Film Festival , Jerusalem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marrakech International Film Festival , as well as Sundance Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival .
• Cannes film festival not possible 'in original form' Tribeca , co-founded by Robert De Niro ( pictured above ) and Jane Rosenthal in New York , have joined forces with the streaming giants to put on the online event after having been forced to postpone this year 's festival .
They hope it `` unites curators , artists and storytellers to entertain and provide relief to audiences worldwide '' .
`` We often talk about film @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uniting people across borders and differences to help heal the world , '' said Rosenthal .
`` All of the world needs healing right now . ''
The free event will include films , shorts , documentaries , music , comedy , and conversations and a full schedule will be available nearer to next month 's event .
According to Deadline , there are n't expected to be any films scheduled for upcoming 2020 festivals for financial and rights reasons .
Last month , the Cannes Film Festival was also postponed due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president Pierre Lescure , and general delegate Thierry Frémaux , said they were `` proud '' to be involved in the online festival instead .
`` We are proud to join with our partner festivals to spotlight truly extraordinary films and talent , allowing audiences to experience both the nuances of storytelling from around the world and the artistic personalities of each festival . ''
As it stands , potentially modified versions of the annual film festivals in Toronto , Venice and London are still due to go ahead in the autumn , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late February .
Follow us on Facebook or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

"We are proud to join with our partner festivals to spotlight truly extraordinary films and talent, allowing audiences to experience both the nuances of storytelling from around the world and the artistic personalities of each festival."


bbc--2020-04-27--El Paso mass shooting victim dies after nine months in hospital

The last remaining patient to survive a mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso , Texas , last August has died , according to hospital officials and family .
Guillermo `` Memo '' Garcia coached a local football team and was shot while selling lemonade with his wife in order to fundraise for the team 's children .
His wife , who was also shot , said she `` lost a warrior but gained an angel '' .
The death toll in the 3 August attack , which officials say was a hate crime against Hispanics , now stands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nine-month fight , our hearts are heavy as we report Guillermo 'Memo ' Garcia , our last remaining patient being treated from the El Paso shooting , has passed away , '' said David Shimp , CEO of Del Sol Medical Center where Garcia was in hospital .
`` His courage , his strength and his story have touched many lives , including those of our caregivers , who tirelessly fought with him and for him every step of the way , '' the statement continued .
`` We are grieving with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garcia 's wife , Jessica Garcia , was shot three times in the leg as they tried to protect their two children .
Their daughter , who was also there that day , played for the football club El Paso Fusion .
One week after the shooting , Jessica Garcia rose from her wheelchair to deliver an emotional speech from across from the courthouse where the suspected attacker was being kept , and decrying the racism that apparently motivated the attack .
A vigil for Guillermo Garcia has been planned for Monday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their vehicles and `` demonstrate our love and honour for Memo by turning on our headlights '' , instead of candles .
Mourners have been also been asked to wear blue , which was Garcia 's favourite colour .
Investigators say the 21-year-old attacker drove for 11 hours to target the Walmart , which is near the border with Mexico and is popular with residents of the nearby city of Ciudad Juarez , Mexico .
He has been charged with capital murder and federal hate crimes after a manifesto reportedly written by him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not guilty in both cases .

"His courage, his strength and his story have touched many lives, including those of our caregivers, who tirelessly fought with him and for him every step of the way," the statement continued. "We are grieving with his family and with our community."


bbc--2020-04-27--Coronavirus alert: Rare syndrome seen in UK children

NHS doctors have been warned to look out for a rare but dangerous reaction in children that may be linked to coronavirus infection .
An urgent alert sent out to GPs said that intensive care departments in London and other parts of the UK have been treating severely sick children with unusual symptoms .
Some , but not all , tested positive for coronavirus .
It is unclear how many children have experienced the reaction , although the numbers will be low .
NHS England medical director Stephen Powis said they had become aware of reports of rare , severe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only in the last few days that we have seen those reports .
We have asked our experts to look into this as a matter of urgency . ''
• This is the moment of maximum risk , Johnson says • How long does it take to recover from coronavirus ?
The alert , issued by NHS England , said there was `` a growing concern '' that a coronavirus-related inflammatory syndrome is emerging in children in the UK or that there may be another , as yet unidentified , infection linked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ varying ages were extremely ill .
They had similar features to toxic shock syndrome , which can include a high temperature , low blood pressure , a rash and difficulty breathing .
Some also had gastrointestinal symptoms - tummy pain , vomiting or diarrhoea - and inflammation of the heart , as well as abnormal blood test results .
Experts say these are the signs you can see when the body becomes overwhelmed as it tries to fight off an infection .
The alert advises these cases need urgent treatment .
But experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ill with coronavirus - evidence from around the world suggests they are the population least affected by the disease .
Dr Nazima Pathan , a consultant in Paediatric Intensive Care in Cambridge , said colleagues in Spain and Italy had been reporting similar cases : `` Some of the children have presented with a septic shock type illness and rashes - the kind of presentation we would expect to see in toxic shock syndrome and Kawasaki disease ( which affects blood vessels and the heart ) .
`` Overall , children seem to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following exposure to coronavirus , and the numbers admitted to intensive care units are relatively low . ''
NHS England said it knew of fewer than 20 such cases in the country where an association has been noted by clinicians .
Investigations will continue , but no link has yet been established , said a spokesman .
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health ( RCPCH ) said parents should be reassured by this , but if they are concerned about their children 's health for any reason , they should seek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Simon Kenny , NHS national clinical director for children and young people , said : `` The advice to parents remains the same : if you are worried about your child for whatever reason , contact NHS 111 or your family doctor for urgent advice , or 999 in an emergency , and if a professional tells you to go to hospital , please go to hospital . ''
When to seek help Whilst coronavirus is infectious to children , it is rarely serious .
If your child is unwell it is likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than coronavirus itself .
The RCPCH advises parents seek urgent help ( call 999 or go to A & E ) if their child is : • Becoming pale , mottled and feeling abnormally cold to the touch • Has pauses in their breathing ( apnoeas ) , has an irregular breathing pattern or starts grunting • Has severe difficulty in breathing becoming agitated or unresponsive • Is going blue round the lips • Becomes extremely distressed ( crying inconsolably despite distraction ) , confused , very lethargic ( difficult to wake ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not disappear with pressure ( the 'Glass test ' ) • Has testicular pain , especially in teenage boys

Prof Simon Kenny, NHS national clinical director for children and young people, said: "The advice to parents remains the same: if you are worried about your child for whatever reason, contact NHS 111 or your family doctor for urgent advice, or 999 in an emergency, and if a professional tells you to go to hospital, please go to hospital."


bbc--2020-04-27--Coronavirus: Argentina bans commercial flight sales until 1 September

Argentina has banned all internal and international commercial flights until 1 September because of the deadly coronavirus outbreak .
The authorities said airlines should not be allowed to sell tickets for flights that may not go ahead in the next four months .
Aviation industry groups said thousands of people could lose their jobs .
Argentina closed its borders to non-residents in March , imposing tough quarantine measures .
The country currently has nearly 4,000 confirmed infections , with 192 deaths , according to figures from Johns Hopkins University .
• Coronavirus : Who is still flying ?
What did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's National Civil Aviation Administration issued a decree on Monday , banning ticket sales for commercial flights to , from or within Argentina .
It described 1 September as a `` reasonable '' date .
The agency added that the decree was aimed at preventing airlines from ticketing flights not approved by the Argentine authorities .
What has the reaction been ?
The international aviation agency , Iata , sent a letter to the Argentine government , saying the decision breached bilateral agreements and put at risk more than 300,000 jobs in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group which lobbies interests of Latin American and Caribbean airlines , said the decree was not `` agreed with the industry '' .
Many countries in South America have halted commercial flights , but none has extended the ban for as long as Argentina .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak • STRESS : How to look after your mental health

The authorities said airlines should not be allowed to sell tickets for flights that may not go ahead in the next four months.


bbc--2020-04-27--Coronavirus: Notre-Dame repairs restart amid lockdown

Repair work has restarted at Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris after halting during France 's coronavirus lockdown .
A fire tore through the iconic medieval building last April , destroying its roof and spire but leaving its structure intact .
President Emmanuel Macron later vowed to restore the building within five years .
The global coronavirus pandemic forced officials to delay the planned start of reconstruction on 23 March .
But on Monday , workers returned to the construction site to make it compliant with new social distancing rules .
• Rescue on hold for fragile Notre Dame in Paris • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Notre-Dame Monsignor Patrick Chauvet , the rector at Notre-Dame , says this includes modifying changing rooms and showers for workers .
A statement says face masks , hand gel and meals will all be provided .
Nearby hotels will host those coming in to help on the building from outside the Paris area .
Winter storms and toxic lead released by the fire have also delayed reconstruction work .
Authorities advised children and pregnant women in the area to take blood tests last June amid concern about lead contamination .
Monsignor Chauvet told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ builders once work fully restarts in the coming weeks was to get rid of the metal scaffolding that melted onto the cathedral 's structure during the fire .
• Has too much money been given to rebuild Notre-Dame ?
• How will Notre-Dame cathedral be restored ?
`` When that 's removed , we can say that the phase of making safe will have been completed , '' he reportedly said , adding that despite losing six weeks the restoration project was still on track to meet President Macron 's deadline .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Officials have ruled out criminal action , and have suggested an electrical fault or even a stubbed out cigarette as possible causes .
France has reported close to 23,000 deaths and has confirmed more than 125,000 cases of the virus .
The country remains under lockdown , though has plans to ease the restrictions from 11 May .
Prime Minister Édouard Philippe will address parliament on Tuesday before a vote on the plans .
Latest official data in France show almost 250,000 more people registered as jobless in March , when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addition , more than 10 million private sector employees have been temporarily laid off because of the virus , with their salaries mainly paid for by the government .

"When that's removed, we can say that the phase of making safe will have been completed," he reportedly said, adding that despite losing six weeks the restoration project was still on track to meet President Macron's deadline.


bbc--2020-04-26--El Salvador's jails: Where social distancing is impossible

Latin America has some of the most overcrowded jails in the world .
With prisoners crammed into tiny cells by the dozen , social distancing is impossible and poor medical facilities mean any outbreak of coronavirus would spread like wildfire .
The United Nations has urged governments to do more to protect inmates and has suggested the most vulnerable be temporarily released to ease overcrowding .
Chile , Colombia and Nicaragua have announced they will move thousands of prisoners into house arrest with priority given to the elderly , pregnant women and those with underlying conditions .
Brazil has already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrest and Peru says it plans to give vulnerable inmates an amnesty .
But the country with the second-highest per capita prison population after the US has not taken yet taken any such steps .
El Salvador has been grappling with gang violence for decades and its prisons are bursting at the seams .
Photographer Tariq Zaidi spent two years documenting conditions in El Salvador 's jails before the coronavirus outbreak spread to the Central American nation .
He gained access to six prisons as well as two police holding cells for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's penal institutions .
As well as one of the largest per capita prison populations , El Salvador has one of the highest per capita murder rates in the world .
But that rate has been going down from its height of 17.6 murders per day in 2015 to an average of 3.6 homicides a day in October 2019 and again to 2.1 in March 2020 .
President Nayib Bukele , who took office in June 2019 , claims much of the credit for that drop .
His zero-tolerance policy towards gang violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with jailed gang members allowed no visitors or phones and confined to their cells 24/7 .
If , on the other hand , the situation both inside and outside the jails is calm then normal hours and visitation rights are reinstated .
Before Mr Bukele came to power , a programme called `` Yo cambio '' ( I change ) offered prisoners a chance to learn skills to boost their employability .
Some even created their own designs and showed them off in prison fashion shows .
Given El Salvador 's severe gang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 80 % of the attacks committed on the outside are believed to have been ordered from behind bars , many fear that releasing prisoners will further escalate gang violence .
Prison guards routinely wear balaclavas to shield their identities so they and their families will not be targeted .
But prisons with their mass overcrowding could also become hot spots for coronavirus infections .
Respiratory diseases already have a higher incidence in the country 's prisons .
The rate of tuberculosis infection in El Salvador 's prisons has been more than 50 times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population , according to the Pan American Journal of Public Health Study .
Given that coronavirus and tuberculosis spread in similar ways , authorities are scrambling to prepare for what infectologist Jorge Panameño has called a `` time bomb '' waiting to explode .
President Bukele has been making some changes to the Salvadorean prison system .
On 26 December - before coronavirus spread to El Salvador - he announced that Chalatenango prison ( pictured above ) would be turned into a university .
Six hundred inmates were transferred and the president said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detail - that the remaining 730 would be moved out in the following days .
But while President Bukele was quick to order a nationwide lockdown and curfew to curb the spread of the virus , no official policy for prisoner releases has been announced .
El Salvador 's prisons have a capacity of 18,051 but the system currently holds more than 38,000 inmates .
Extreme heat , unsanitary conditions and tuberculosis claimed the lives of many inmates even before coronavirus .
The coronavirus pandemic thus presents a major problem to President Bukele @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in prison , the president has already had to lift some of the emergency measures he imposed to better control inmates .
Moreover , judges in El Salvador have argued that those over 60 and with terminal illnesses should be temporarily released - however gang members would not be included in this move .
The dilemma he faces is a stark one : release prisoners and risk a rise in gang violence he has fought hard to drive down or keep them behind bars and face a potential coronavirus explosion .
All photos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow more of Tariq 's work on Instagram , Facebook and his website .

President Bukele has been making some changes to the Salvadorean prison system. On 26 December - before coronavirus spread to El Salvador - he announced that Chalatenango prison (pictured above) would be turned into a university. Six hundred inmates were transferred and the president said on Twitter - without offering any more detail - that the remaining 730 would be moved out in the following days.


bbc--2020-04-27--Ethereal image of Cosmos flowers wins photo competition

Anne MacIntyre 's image Ethereal Cosmos has won the International Garden Photographer of the Year 's Black & White photo project .
`` After having recently painted my summerhouse white , I decided to capture these delicate Cosmos flowers , creating vivid white tones in this black-and-white composition , '' she said .
The judges said : `` It is easy to turn any colour photograph into black and white - but through clear intent , Anne chose the set-up before photographing to dramatic effect .
`` This work uses black and white to add something special , not take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the whites are punchy and incredibly detailed . ''
Ethereal Cosmos will feature in a book and exhibition at the Royal Botanic Gardens , Kew , in 2021 .
Here are other winning photos from the contest , with captions by the photographers .
Highly commended : Reflections of the Mallard Pond , by Roy Curtis , Trebah Gardens , Cornwall '' This photograph was shot at the base of a mountain in Flagstaff , Arizona , during an early winter storm .
The snow level was not quite enough to cover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a haunting contrast with the pine forest in the background . ''
Highly commended : Beam Me Up , by Geoff Kell , New Forest National Park , Hampshire Highly commended : Raindrops on Lily pond , by Annemarie Farley , the Florida Botanical Gardens , Largo , All photographs courtesy the International Garden Photographer of the Year competition .

Image caption,
"This photograph was shot at the base of a mountain in Flagstaff, Arizona, during an early winter storm. The snow level was not quite enough to cover the aspens in the foreground but created a haunting contrast with the pine forest in the background."


bbc--2020-04-27--Coronavirus: Florida pastor continues in-person services

Pastor Rich Vera , who runs a church in Florida , says he believes that faith can stop the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ a vocal minority of Christians in America who feel it ’ s appropriate to gather @ @ @ @ @ advice to stay home , and who support protests against the restrictions in place to @ @ @ @ @ of coronavirus .

Pastor Rich Vera, who runs a church in Florida, says he believes that faith can stop the coronavirus.
He is one of a vocal minority of Christians in America who feel it’s appropriate to gather to worship despite US federal advice to stay home, and who support protests against the restrictions in place to try and limit the spread of coronavirus.


bbc--2020-04-27--Coronavirus: What Africa countries are doing to help people to eat amid the lockdowns

Stuck at home because of the lockdown , 25-year-old Ugandan Richard Kabanda is worried about feeding his family .
The motorbike taxi driver , who used to earn about $ 2 ( £1.60 ) a day , has had no work since the government banned public transport last month as part of measures to slow the spread of coronavirus .
`` We are going to die because there is nothing we can do , '' he told the BBC from his house , which is in a slum , close to the swamps by Lake Victoria .
`` We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we will run out of food yet we 've been told not to leave our homes . ''
How to balance lives with livelihoods Once his savings had run out , he had hoped to benefit from a food distribution programme that the government promised to 1.5 million of those most in need .
His experience was typical of the more than four out of five African workers who survive day-to-day in the informal sector and have no access to state assistance .
Many acted swiftly with lockdowns or restrictions on movement as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the authorities are also aware of the toll these measures are taking on their citizens .
They are now grappling with how to move into the next phase of how to contain the virus and restart the economy .
`` Getting the balance right between people 's lives and livelihoods is the big trick for poorer countries , '' said Ronak Gopaldas , director of the South Africa-based risk management company , Signal Risk .
`` If people do n't work , they do n't eat .
Ongoing lockdowns are unsustainable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African countries have social safety nets to catch people if they lose their jobs .
The precarious existence for those workers in the informal sector , and the large numbers of relatives who rely on them , means that the halting of economic activity could spell disaster .
So what are African governments doing to cushion their citizens from the impact of unemployment ?
Looking at sub-Saharan Africa as a whole , the World Bank has predicted that the region could fall into a recession in 2020 for the first time in 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak .
Nigeria , South Africa and Angola are likely to be hit hardest , but all countries will see a slow down .
Governments and central banks have come up with a series of macro-economic measures , including tax relief and interest rate reductions , to try to avoid the worst effects .
While those may mean that some keep jobs that would otherwise have been lost , it is the help that governments can give to directly to the people that may be more significant in the short-term .
South Africa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy , has announced the biggest action plan so far .
Last week , President Cyril Ramaphosa outlined a comprehensive $ 26bn ( £21bn ) economic package , amounting to 10 % of the country 's GDP , to help boost the economy .
He said that this would be `` equal to the scale of the disruption [ coronavirus ] is causing '' .
Jane Barrett , who works in South Africa for Wiego , an organisation that supports women in informal employment , says that things are currently `` pretty dire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relying on food parcels that are being distributed by charities and civil society organisations but `` we are hearing heart-breaking stories all the time of people not being reached in rural areas and whole informal settlements where food distribution has hardly touched '' , she adds .
About $ 2.6bn of the money the government is spending will be given in the form of cash transfers to those most in need .
People who are already receiving child benefit , currently $ 23 per child per month , will get an extra $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more money after that .
This should help 18 million South Africans - just under a third of the population .
State pensions will also be boosted and those who are not receiving either of these benefits , or unemployment insurance , could qualify for a new payment of $ 18 a month for the next six months .
This is not an insignificant amount , Ms Barrett says , `` but I 'm not sure that it 's going to be sufficient to alleviate the terrible hunger that we are seeing '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : • Why do African states differ over lockdowns ?
Some of the money to pay for the whole economic package will not come from loans or new taxation but will be the result of a reorganisation of spending priorities and drawing on a surplus in the unemployment fund .
But South Africa will still need to borrow more to pay for these commitments .
Other countries on the continent may find this harder as they could be reluctant to incur more debt repayment costs , says Razia Khan , chief economist for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donors have announced a freeze on repayments for now , this will not last forever .
`` Given the greater formalisation of South Africa 's economy it is able to come up with its package , '' she adds .
`` But this is the difficulty for many countries - it is incredibly hard for governments across the region to reach out to those who operate in the informal sector .
This is a key hurdle . ''
Kenya 's government has used an existing cash transfer programme , Inua Jamii , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulnerable people , who are either elderly , disabled or orphaned .
But there will still be many others among Kenya 's 51 million people who will need help .
In announcing a new scheme , known as the Covid-19 Support Stipend , President Uhuru Kenyatta said his government was adopting a `` pro-poor approach… knowing that they are disproportionately affected '' by the pandemic .
It has earmarked $ 93m for the fund that will target squatters , street hawkers , food vendors , motorbike taxi drivers and other labourers who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But how many , and exactly who , will qualify is not yet clear as the authorities need to establish the infrastructure to identify those most in need .
And $ 93m does not sound much compared to the $ 2.6bn in South Africa .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to look after your mental health A pilot project in Kibera , a slum area of the capital , Nairobi , in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19 , was deemed successful by the authorities .
`` This is a huge step in the right direction , '' Rachel Strohm , a researcher into poverty alleviation policies , told the BBC , as `` cash transfers are a well-proven means of supporting vulnerable people during times of crisis '' .
But she highlighted the lack of clarity over the recipients .
If it is to be distributed among all 18.6 million Kenyans who live below the poverty line of $ 2 a day , it would not last long .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
This kind of cash transfer scheme does not appear to have been adopted by Kenya 's neighbours .
For example , both Rwanda and Uganda are for the moment relying on using food handouts to sustain the most needy .
But in Uganda , they may not be reaching everyone who is hungry .
The Ugandan motorbike taxi driver , Mr Kabanda , said that he had not yet received a food parcel a fortnight after the food scheme was announced .
Disaster Preparedness Minister Musa Ecweru told the BBC that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million people who had no income .
He added that it had been challenging to find the recipients as social distancing rules mean that the authorities have to make deliveries door-to-door in slums that have no proper addresses .
And what about Nigeria ?
Nigeria , Africa 's most populous country with some 200 million people , has ordered a lockdown in its commercial hub , Lagos , the neighbouring state of Ogun and the capital Abuja .
A trader who sells car parts in Lagos ' Ladipo market , thought to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region , told the BBC that he was suffering .
`` Some of us have not opened our shops for three weeks now and that 's how we get money for food , '' he said .
The government has introduced some tax relief measures and incentivised employers to retain staff .
But with more than 90 % of the workforce employed in the informal sector , according to the UN 's International Labour Organization , these policies will touch very few people .
President Muahammadu Buhari has announced a series of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , among them expanding the number of households included in a cash transfer scheme from 2.6 million to 3.6 million .
This should mean that just under 10 % of the population will receive $ 13 a month .
It is meant only for the very poorest and what happens to the rest is not clear .
But the BBC 's Nduka Orjinmo in Lagos says it is hard to see how anyone can survive on $ 13 for a month , even if it was only spent on food .
Speaking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buhari said that the government 's lockdown measures would `` bring undue hardship '' on the population but he added that the `` sacrifices are… necessary to save lives '' .
But as we emerge from the crisis , his government , and others across the continent , will need to find the policies and money to end the hardship , otherwise there is a risk that more people in Africa might die as a result of the lockdowns , than Covid-19 itself .

But as we emerge from the crisis, his government, and others across the continent, will need to find the policies and money to end the hardship, otherwise there is a risk that more people in Africa might die as a result of the lockdowns, than Covid-19 itself.


bbc--2020-04-27--Coronavirus: 'I returned my suits and spent £100 on loungewear’

A few weeks ago , London-based lawyer Samantha Hewitt decided to refresh her office wardrobe , going online to buy new suits and dresses .
Then the coronavirus lockdown hit and suddenly much of Britain was forced to become a nation of home workers .
Ms Hewitt immediately sent her sober corporate gear back , and spent £100 on trendy loungewear instead .
Now the erstwhile smart dresser admits she is pretty much living in casual clothes suitable for relaxing at home , be it hoodies , joggers or pyjamas .
`` I 've found myself saying to my housemates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 'oh it does n't matter , does it ?
It 's lockdown . '
`` Usually , I 'd be quite sensitive about going out without my make-up done and wearing normal clothes , even if it 's just jeans and a t-shirt .
Now it is some variation of a jumper and loungewear bottoms , '' she says .
The 26-year-old is not the only one making the swap .
Since the lockdown a month ago , online demand for loungewear - defined as a hybrid between pyjamas and tracksuits - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to LoveTheSales.com , a shopping website that aggregates sale items from 850 retailers .
Online fashion retailer Boohoo says it is so popular that sales in April are higher than a year ago .
`` People are n't really buying going-out items , but they are buying homewear - hoodies , joggers , tracksuit bottoms , '' the firm said .
Even fashion doyenne Dame Anna Wintour has been photographed working from home in her joggers .
Though , admittedly , the editor-in-chief of US Vogue looks infinitely more chic than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you 're sat in the same room for 18 hours a day , like a lot of people will be doing , then comfort becomes quite important , '' says LoveTheSales co-founder Stuart McClure .
`` Normally , people are up and about but now you 're sort of hovering around at home even though you 're working .
So I think it is about that psychology of comfort and happiness . ''
Many retailers such as Asos and Missguided are now advertising comfort wear instead of spring dresses .
For struggling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trend , with loungewear one of the few categories currently growing .
LoveTheSales says the number of discounts on this type of clothing has dropped dramatically .
This time last year , people spent just over £1bn on clothes for parties and socialising and a further £855m on gear for their holidays , according to market researcher Kantar .
`` Obviously , that need has been removed from the market at the moment , '' says Glen Tooke , a consumer insight director at Kantar .
While he does n't think demand for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that many retailers ' stores - which account for 70 % of consumer spend - are shut , Mr Tooke thinks it will allow them to retain a link with their customers .
`` The smaller or more niche categories should allow retailers to be engaged with their customers and to keep that buying habit going , '' he says .
The so-called `` influencers '' who frequent social media are also playing a part in the lockdown loungewear trend .
Search # loungewear on Instagram and watch it return hundreds of thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as Kylie Jenner publish pictures of themselves in their matching tops and bottoms .
`` Suddenly you ca n't go out and take a photo of your cool dinner or the great restaurant you 're in or whatever it is , '' says Mr McClure .
`` Everything 's got to be taken at home . ''
But now that many in Britain are adjusting to working in more relaxed attire , will it be tough to transition back to traditional work clothing ?
Or were we already heading that way ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Mintel , says : `` Prior to the coronavirus outbreak , we had already seen that loungewear and nightwear had benefitted from a shift towards more flexible working over the last two years . ''
Michael Solomon , a consumer psychologist and professor of marketing at St Joseph 's University in the US , agrees .
It is now common , for example , to see men not wearing ties in the office and sporting more casual suits .
He says : `` What happens in a crisis like this is you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society that are happening and it tends to accelerate those . ''
While it is understandable that people put comfort over smartness when working from home , could it make us less effective ?
Studies have shown that people are more likely to describe themselves as neat and strategic when wearing smart attire , and as easygoing or clumsy when dressed casually .
`` I do n't think it is necessary to have a full business suit on , but there is a lot to be said for the notion that we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Solomon .
As for Ms Hewitt , part of her misses dressing up for work .
`` When I 've had online court hearings or a meeting with an external client and I 've put on something smarter , it 's quite nice to feel more human again .
`` I sort of feel like I 've got a bit more of a purpose I guess . ''

"Usually, I'd be quite sensitive about going out without my make-up done and wearing normal clothes, even if it's just jeans and a t-shirt. Now it is some variation of a jumper and loungewear bottoms," she says.


bbc--2020-04-27--Stressed firms look for better ways to source products

Maxime Firth 's business is complicated to manage , even in good times .
His company , Onduline , turns recycled fibres into roofing material , after dousing them with bitumen to make them waterproof , and sells products in 100 countries .
Its eight production plants span from Nizhny Novgorod in Russia and Penang in Malaysia , to Juiz de Fora in Brazil .
Further complicating his supply chain , Mr Firth 's business is strongly seasonal .
People install roofs in the summer , so products are made from January to March , to sell from April to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is how much demand there will be from important markets like China and the US .
`` Instead of manufacturing something that you are forced to sell , it is better to know what the market wants to buy , '' he says .
The impact of coronavirus makes it difficult for businessmen like him to make the right decisions .
To manage demand Mr Firth 's company used to work with `` homemade '' IT tools mainly based on Excel spreadsheets .
But now he is using software accessible over the internet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can model his situation every week .
It allows the firm to use the latest data to explore how demand might start returning in different markets .
`` In terms of profitability , and also production , it 's changing every week , '' he says .
• The stealthy drones that fly like insects • Coronavirus threatens the next generation of smartphones • 'The phone slipped into the bath ' : Conference call tales Coronavirus `` puts supply chain planning under the spotlight , '' says Frank Calderoni , chief executive of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using .
Some companies have seen sales dry up : like Mr Firth 's roofing material purchases , which he says are down 70 % .
But demand for some goods has rocketed , including groceries , books , coffee , and toys for children .
Supply chain chaos could last at least another 18 months , and probably longer , says Len Pannett , president of the UK roundtable of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals .
Businesses trying to get back to work may find their overseas suppliers are still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about every firm in the chain , the better .
`` Being in touch with a customer 's customer 's customer , you can see ahead of time what 's coming your way '' and start finding alternative suppliers if you need to , Mr Pannett says .
Most businesses had been monitoring supply chains , finance , and sales with different tools .
Joining these silos into one cloud platform lets finance teams peek into supply chains and sales , and be more efficient with money , he says .
And with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to make better decisions .
More accurate real-time information will help them do this , and keep better track of their decisions ' effects , according to Mr Calderoni .
Supply chains were already trickling onto the cloud and he says coronavirus will accelerate that move , with technologies like blockchain and artificial intelligence ( AI ) becoming commonplace .
For the Gulf state of Bahrain - an island - all its ventilators , facemasks , medicines , and 99.5 % of the goods in its market come through its only port @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change its procedures , says Susan Hunter , who as head of APM Terminals Bahrain is in charge of Khalifa Bin Salman Port 's day-to-day running .
The port had to quickly arrange for lorry drivers to apply for gate passes , do security checks , and make payments online .
It has also set up a critical cargo programme , to identify containers carrying medical supplies , to allow these to swiftly pass these through customs and put them where they can be accessed quickly .
Ms Hunter would like to move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` There 's no resistance , just 'How are we going to make that happen ? '
'' she says .
`` We 're just a couple of steps away from being able to put a lot of our documents onto a blockchain platform , we are seeing the industry changing that way , '' she says .
Blockchain keeps a record of transactions in a ledger , stored across a number of computers linked in a peer-to-peer network .
This lets firms share information about a container just once , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see that information .
It allows `` the right person to have the right information at the right time , in a permissioned way , '' says Richard Stockley , blockchain executive at IBM Europe .
Blockchain has made headway in areas like tracing food through a supply chain .
As an experiment , Walmart 's chief executive pulled out a packet of mangoes , imagined they were toxic and asked how long it would take to find out where they came from , and where the other mangoes in that shipment were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to find the answer .
But using blockchain `` we 've got that down to about two seconds , '' says Mr Stockley .
The biggest challenge in introducing blockchain to supply chains is getting different organisations to collaborate .
But Mr Stockley says blockchain can make supply chains `` a lot more resilient , more transparent , and proactive , '' and will get much more attention as we emerge from coronavirus .
Amazon has changed forever how quickly we expect products to arrive , and how visible their movements should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adam Compain , chief executive of San Francisco-based ClearMetal , an AI supply chains startup .
But outside Jeff Bezos 's company , big corporate supply chains are still pretty static .
Typically , every six months , a company will look at how long it takes products to go from China to a warehouse and on to a store shelf , he says .
Getting more up-to-date information means making sense of thousands of pieces of information each day about where products are .
Much of that information can be poor or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company might tell you twice that the same shipment has been delivered , or is out for delivery .
But machine learning algorithms can spot patterns in this messy data .
Maybe the same delivery company always sends two messages , but the first is generally more accurate .
AI is now much better than humans at spotting whether there 's a storm brewing now that will delay your shipping container next week , Mr Pannett says .
For thousands of businesses like Mr Firth 's in France , the coming year will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until May we are okay , '' he says .
After that , `` we do n't know if the customers will pay us . ''
So each week his company , like many others , will make high-stakes decisions using a combination of luck and the best tools technology can offer .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak • STRESS : How to look after your mental @

As an experiment, Walmart's chief executive pulled out a packet of mangoes, imagined they were toxic and asked how long it would take to find out where they came from, and where the other mangoes in that shipment were.


bbc--2020-04-27--'Project Restart' - Premier League steps up plans as some players return to training grounds

Plans to resume the Premier League season will step up this week in what has been labelled `` Project Restart '' .
Arsenal , Brighton and West Ham have opened their training grounds to players for individual work on Monday .
The league is hopeful of a potential 8 June restart and finishing at the end of July to fit in with Uefa 's European competition plans .
This would require full training to begin by 18 May .
Top-flight clubs will meet on Friday to discuss options for the restart .
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said he has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Premier League `` as soon as possible '' .
`` I personally have been in talks with the Premier League with a view to getting football up and running as soon as possible in order to support the whole football community , '' Dowden said during a parliamentary questions session for the Department of Digital , Culture , Media and Sport , '' But , of course , any such moves would have to be consistent with public health guidance . ''
It comes as details emerge of a cross-sport working group set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ training .
From Tuesday , Tottenham will make a limited number of pitches available for the first-team squad to use in individual sessions .
Only one player will be allowed on a pitch and each player will travel independently to the training ground .
The club have also restricted the number of players who will be at the training ground at any one time .
The Premier League has been suspended since 13 March because of the coronavirus pandemic and all clubs remain committed to playing this season 's 92 remaining fixtures .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind closed doors and the league is considering making some available on free-to-air TV .
One issue under debate on Friday will be what `` approved stadiums '' will be used and whether that will be a limited number of grounds or neutral venues .
However , a return to action still depends on the government 's five tests being met , especially an increase in testing , and meeting social distancing guidelines .
• What are the five tests ?
It also hinges on the conclusions reached by regular cross-sport meetings of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for competing behind closed doors , which are set to start late this week .
The BBC reported on Saturday how the government has plans for a series of these meetings to help elite sport resume .
The move was described by a source close to the plans as a `` quickening of the pace '' and intended to help sport resume `` within weeks '' , if progress was made .
More than 20,000 people in the UK have died with coronavirus .
BBC Sport understands the EFL is expected this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the potential resumption .
The EFL is in conversation with the Department for Digital , Culture , Media and Sport ( DCMS ) on a regular basis and there is a sense that things are starting to move more quickly .
`` Project Restart '' is a Premier League-specific plan , but there is close collaboration between the Premier League , EFL and FA over restart plans .
On Sunday , Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said it would be `` difficult '' for amateur sport to return this summer because of the `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that professional sport may be able to return `` because of the scale of testing '' that could be introduced .
On Monday , Watford chief executive Scott Duxbury said `` football , for me now , just needs to be put to one side '' .
`` I feel uncomfortable at this stage even talking about football as a narrative , because there are people dying every day , '' Duxbury said .
`` There are stresses on the NHS and that has to be our priority .
`` When it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absolutely fine for players and support staff to return , then I am 100 % behind that . ''
Officials believe a return to play would be a morale-booster for many people after several weeks of lockdown .
But there is also concern over the possibility of imposing any additional pressure on the health service if players get injured , and on policing if fans gather outside stadia .
They also want to guard against the perception that an exception is being made for professional sport in terms of testing or social distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already returned to training and the top-flight season is ready to restart on 9 May if given approval by the government .
In Italy , Serie A sides can return to individual training on 4 May and team training on 18 May after the Italian prime minister announced the first steps in lifting the country 's coronavirus lockdown .
World players ' union Fifpro says the return of football risks sending a `` bad signal '' .
`` There is a huge logistical and medical/scientific question about testing and protocols but also a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baer-Hoffmann .
`` We need guidance and protocols on how to return in a healthy and safe manner .
Football is a contact sport and we feel very high protection standards are required .
`` Are we sending the right message to society , and are we encouraging a healthy return to normal life ?
Or are we sending a bad signal that football has different rules to the rest of the world ? ''
What about other sport ?
In addition , the major stakeholders across Olympic , Paralympic and professional sport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working-group consultation , led by funding agency UK Sport , with the aim of compiling best-practice guidance for a return to full training once social distancing restrictions are lifted .
BBC Sport has learned that British Cycling has been asked to represent the Olympic and Paralympic sports , with a first meeting having taken place last Thursday and been chaired by UK Sport chief executive Sally Munday .
It also included athlete representatives and the English Institute of Sport .

Last updated on .From the section Premier League
Arsenal's training ground opens to players for individual work
Plans to resume the Premier League season will step up this week in what has been labelled "Project Restart".
Arsenal, Brighton and West Ham have opened their training grounds to players for individual work on Monday.
The league is hopeful of a potential 8 June restart and finishing at the end of July to fit in with Uefa's European competition plans. This would require full training to begin by 18 May.
Top-flight clubs will meet on Friday to discuss options for the restart.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said he has been in contact with clubs about restarting the Premier League "as soon as possible".
"I personally have been in talks with the Premier League with a view to getting football up and running as soon as possible in order to support the whole football community," Dowden said during a parliamentary questions session for the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport,
"But, of course, any such moves would have to be consistent with public health guidance."
It comes as details emerge of a cross-sport working group set up to discuss options for returning to training.
From Tuesday, Tottenham will make a limited number of pitches available for the first-team squad to use in individual sessions.
Only one player will be allowed on a pitch and each player will travel independently to the training ground.
The club have also restricted the number of players who will be at the training ground at any one time.
The Premier League has been suspended since 13 March because of the coronavirus pandemic and all clubs remain committed to playing this season's 92 remaining fixtures.
All games are expected to be held behind closed doors and the league is considering making some available on free-to-air TV.
One issue under debate on Friday will be what "approved stadiums" will be used and whether that will be a limited number of grounds or neutral venues.
However, a return to action still depends on the government's five tests being met, especially an increase in testing, and meeting social distancing guidelines.
It also hinges on the conclusions reached by regular cross-sport meetings of senior medical officials discussing the health protocols for competing behind closed doors, which are set to start late this week.
The BBC reported on Saturday how the government has plans for a series of these meetings to help elite sport resume.
The move was described by a source close to the plans as a "quickening of the pace" and intended to help sport resume "within weeks", if progress was made.
More than 20,000 people in the UK have died with coronavirus.
How Arsenal players will train Players are arriving in groups of five to do individual sessions, stretching and running with a ball 10 pitches are used so players do not come into contact with each other Each player is assigned their own ball Players are on a rota and told where to park Buildings at the training ground are closed Club feel training at Colney is safer than in parks, where players were being asked for selfies
BBC Sport understands the EFL is expected this week to further develop its contingency plans before the potential resumption.
The EFL is in conversation with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on a regular basis and there is a sense that things are starting to move more quickly.
"Project Restart" is a Premier League-specific plan, but there is close collaboration between the Premier League, EFL and FA over restart plans.
On Sunday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said it would be "difficult" for amateur sport to return this summer because of the "level and scale of interaction" but that professional sport may be able to return "because of the scale of testing" that could be introduced.
On Monday, Watford chief executive Scott Duxbury said "football, for me now, just needs to be put to one side".
"I feel uncomfortable at this stage even talking about football as a narrative, because there are people dying every day," Duxbury said.
"There are stresses on the NHS and that has to be our priority.
"When it is safe and the government say it is absolutely fine for players and support staff to return, then I am 100% behind that."
Officials believe a return to play would be a morale-booster for many people after several weeks of lockdown.
But there is also concern over the possibility of imposing any additional pressure on the health service if players get injured, and on policing if fans gather outside stadia.
They also want to guard against the perception that an exception is being made for professional sport in terms of testing or social distancing.
Clubs in Germany's Bundesliga have already returned to training and the top-flight season is ready to restart on 9 May if given approval by the government.
In Italy, Serie A sides can return to individual training on 4 May and team training on 18 May after the Italian prime minister announced the first steps in lifting the country's coronavirus lockdown.
World players' union Fifpro says the return of football risks sending a "bad signal".
"There is a huge logistical and medical/scientific question about testing and protocols but also a social one," said secretary-general Jonas Baer-Hoffmann.
"We need guidance and protocols on how to return in a healthy and safe manner. Football is a contact sport and we feel very high protection standards are required.
"Are we sending the right message to society, and are we encouraging a healthy return to normal life? Or are we sending a bad signal that football has different rules to the rest of the world?"
What about other sport?
In addition, the major stakeholders across Olympic, Paralympic and professional sport have been asked to contribute to a working-group consultation, led by funding agency UK Sport, with the aim of compiling best-practice guidance for a return to full training once social distancing restrictions are lifted.
BBC Sport has learned that British Cycling has been asked to represent the Olympic and Paralympic sports, with a first meeting having taken place last Thursday and been chaired by UK Sport chief executive Sally Munday. It also included athlete representatives and the English Institute of Sport.


bbc--2020-04-27--ECB should consider scrapping overseas players - Vaughan

The England and Wales Cricket Board should consider temporarily scrapping overseas players in the County Championship to cut costs , says former England captain Michael Vaughan .
There will be no cricket in England or Wales before at least 1 July because of the coronavirus pandemic .
On Monday , a report from a financial advisory firm said counties face a loss of £85m if the entire season is lost .
`` You have to look at every area where you can save a few quid , '' said Vaughan .
`` Traditionalists will go mad at this , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next two years , could you look at not having overseas players for the four-day game ? ''
Several counties have cancelled deals for overseas players in 2020 , or postponed them until 2021 .
Vaughan , who captained England in 51 of his 82 Tests , also suggested a temporary reduction in the number of Championship matches played .
Speaking on the Tuffers and Vaughan Show on BBC Radio 5 Live , he said : `` Four-day cricket costs the game .
`` I 'm a die-hard four-day and five-day player @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game that could , just for a couple of years , be worth reducing .
`` If you reduced it from 14 to 10 games , you 'd miss the games but I do n't think it would be a huge problem for a couple of years .
You could go back to that in two or three years . ''
The Championship is set to be reduced this summer and may even be replaced with another first-class competition in what will be a truncated season .
Vaughan said overseas players should still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Hundred .
The new 100-ball competition was due to launch this year , but is likely to be postponed at an ECB board meeting on Wednesday .
• Podcast : Listen to the Tuffers and Vaughan Show

Last updated on .From the section Cricket
Australian Peter Siddle (cut-out, far left) played eight County Championship games for champions Essex last season
The England and Wales Cricket Board should consider temporarily scrapping overseas players in the County Championship to cut costs, says former England captain Michael Vaughan.
There will be no cricket in England or Wales before at least 1 July because of the coronavirus pandemic.
On Monday, a report from a financial advisory firm said counties face a loss of £85m if the entire season is lost.
"You have to look at every area where you can save a few quid," said Vaughan.
"Traditionalists will go mad at this, but these are unprecedented times.
"In the next two years, could you look at not having overseas players for the four-day game?"
Several counties have cancelled deals for overseas players in 2020, or postponed them until 2021.
Vaughan, who captained England in 51 of his 82 Tests, also suggested a temporary reduction in the number of Championship matches played.
Speaking on the Tuffers and Vaughan Show on BBC Radio 5 Live, he said: "Four-day cricket costs the game.
"I'm a die-hard four-day and five-day player. It is a cost to the game that could, just for a couple of years, be worth reducing.
"If you reduced it from 14 to 10 games, you'd miss the games but I don't think it would be a huge problem for a couple of years. You could go back to that in two or three years."
The Championship is set to be reduced this summer and may even be replaced with another first-class competition in what will be a truncated season.
Vaughan said overseas players should still be permitted in the T20 Blast and The Hundred.
The new 100-ball competition was due to launch this year, but is likely to be postponed at an ECB board meeting on Wednesday.