thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--Captain Tom Moore, 99, Reaches £10m Milestone In NHS Fundraising Bid

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The 99-year-old army veteran who has raised more than £12m for the NHS has reached his target of completing 100 lengths of his garden before his centenary celebrations.
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Captain Tom Moore, who lives with his family in Bedfordshire, completed the last of the 25-metre laps early on Thursday morning.
Congratulations to @CaptainTomMoore, who has completed a fundraising walk to raise more than £12m for NHS charities!
Soldiers from 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment surprised Tom with a Guard of Honour at a safe distance as he completed his final lap.#InThisTogether pic.twitter.com/Yqw8K8AQqs — Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) April 16, 2020
His achievements – which started at a modest target of £1,000 last week, ahead of his 100th birthday on April 30 – were singled out by Matt Hancock during the Wednesday evening press conference at Downing Street.
In his opening address, the health secretary said: “I want to pay a special tribute today to Captain Tom Moore.
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“Captain Tom, you’re an inspiration to us all, and we thank you.”
At that point, donations had surpassed £8 million, but by Thursday morning the figure had risen by another £4m.
On Wednesday evening, when the figure stood at £10m, the military veteran wrote on Twitter: “10 MILLION POUND! Virtutis Fortuna Comes.”
10 MILLION POUND!
Virtutis Fortuna Comes
I want to thank all the people behind the scenes including @JustGiving, @BBCBreakfast and @GMB for being behind us from the start, and all the wonderful people donating! #TomorrowWillBeAGoodDay
🙌🏼 — Captain Tom Moore (@captaintommoore) April 15, 2020
Earlier, he told BBC One: “I think that’s absolutely enormous.
“At no time when we started off with this exercise did we anticipate we’d get anything near that sort of money.
“It just shows that people have such high regard for matters of our National Health Service and it’s really amazing that people have paid so much money.”
Moore began raising funds to thank NHS staff who treated him for a broken hip.
His daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, told the BBC that the amount raised was “beyond our wildest expectations”.
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When the JustGiving page went live last week, they thought their £1,000 target was a “real stretch”, she said.
“No words can express our gratitude to the British public for getting behind Tom, for making this into a heartfelt story,” she added.
“He’s a stoic Yorkshireman, he’s an unruffled straight-down-the-line kind of person and has embraced this adventure as the next stage of his life.
“I believe that life is all about purpose, we all need purpose, and, whilst he’s had a life full of purpose, he did fall and break his hip and became much less independent than he had been for the preceding 98 years, and what you have done, the British public, and everyone who’s supported him, is giving him his next purpose.
“He is articulate, he’s alive, he’s doing this and I think he’ll do this until everyone says, ‘Stop, don’t do it any more’.”
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Originally from Keighley in West Yorkshire, Mr Moore trained as a civil engineer before enlisting in the Army for the Second World War, rising to captain and serving in India and Burma.
Meanwhile, an eight-year-old girl has started an online campaign for children to make birthday cards for Mr Moore’s 100th birthday.
Reegan Davies, from Port Talbot, South Wales, set a target of 1,500 virtual cards after posting a video online to thank him for his fundraising efforts.
She says in the video posted on Twitter: “You’ve got to make a birthday card for Tom, any social media you post it, and tag #makeacardfortom”.
– Donations to NHS Charities Together can be made at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tomswalkforthenhs


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--Backlash Over Government 'Badge Of Honour’ For Social Care Workers: 'They Need PPE And Testing'

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The government has faced criticism after unveiling a badge for social care workers as the sector battles with a shortage of protective equipment and a surge in deaths at residential homes.
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Health secretary Matt Hancock said on Wednesday that a single brand symbolising the entire profession would allow individual workers to “proudly and publicly identify themselves” during the outbreak, giving them the same public recognition as NHS staff.
But the move was met with criticism from industry figures, who pointed to the urgent need for more protective equipment and increased testing.
Coronavirus has been confirmed in at least 2,000 UK care homes. On Wednesday night, it was confirmed 24 residents have died at one care home during the coronavirus outbreak, including eight who tested positive for Covid-19.
Staffordshire County Council said a total of 18 residents and one staff member had tested positive at the county’s largest care home, Bradwell Hall Nursing Home in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
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The local authority said there have been 24 deaths in just over three weeks at the home, including 16 who were not tested for the virus. The home has around 140 residents.
Rehana Azam, national officer of the GMB union, said care workers “need more than a badge and a pat on their head to define their precious role in society”.
She said: “They need the protective equipment and testing on the front line now to protect their lives. Ministers should be moving mountains to support our care sector to get the kit workers need available where and when they need it.
“Care workers are serially undervalued, highly skilled and massively underpaid.
“It will take far more than branding to get them the recognition and support they deserve and that battle will continue until care workers are treated the same as NHS workers.”
A badge? Really a badge?? — Jonathan Ashworth (@JonAshworth) April 15, 2020
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WTF? Care workers are chronically short of PPE as 1000s of residents are dying of coronavirus & @MattHancock says he's giving them all a bloody BADGE?
This is not the Thick Of It, Health Secretary, this is real life & death.
Stop patronising these heroes & get them PPE. — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) April 15, 2020
"Just a quick question for the Secretary of State: a badge? And if I could ask a quick follow-up: a fucking badge?" — Michael Deacon (@MichaelPDeacon) April 15, 2020
Health secretary Matt Hancock showing the new 'Care' badge, described as a "badge of honour" for social care workers. PA
Speaking during the daily Downing Street press conference, Hancock said: “This badge will be a badge of honour in a very real sense, allowing social care staff proudly and publicly to identify themselves, just like NHS staff do with that famous blue and white logo.
“I know that many businesses will want to offer the same recognition and benefits as they do wonderfully to the NHS.”
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As he spoke the health secretary pointed to a green and white badge spelling out ‘Care’, which appears to be a badge that was launched in June 2019.
Andy Burnham, Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, tweeted in response: “Of all the things that long-suffering social care staff in England most need, I would put a badge close to the bottom of the list.”
And Barbara Keeley, Labour MP for Worsley and Eccles South, wrote: “A badge for social care staff? They need PPE, testing, decent pay and conditions and proper recognition of the vital role they do. But a badge?”
Edel Harris, chief executive of the learning disability charity Mencap, said that “beyond well-meaning gestures, such as a badge and new branding, we would much prefer to see funds available so that the hard working frontline social care workforce can be given a pay rise on a par with the NHS to really value the incredible work they do”.
Plans for the care sector, set out by Hancock, also include increased testing and improved access to protective equipment.
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He said the Government would also strengthen recruitment efforts to get tens of thousands of more staff into the profession. It will pay for initial induction training, he said.
“Everyone knows the job isn’t easy, whether supporting people of working age, who are some of the most vulnerable in society, or supporting people and their families with dignity at the end of their lives, but I know what a fulfilling profession it is and I know that many will answer our call,” he added.
Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents organisations across the healthcare sector, said: “Let this be the day we stop talking about health and social care as if they are two different worlds, as if the NHS and nursing homes have different values.
“We are in this together and, not before time, the Government has stepped in to proclaim parity for all forms of care and all staff working tirelessly to defeat the virus and save lives.
“The virus does not discriminate and nor must we – all care is equal.”
Ian Hudspeth, chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “Access to sufficient PPE and testing are vital to the safety of staff and the people they care for and we are pleased this plan provides assurance that these will be available.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--Viral Poem Highlights Essential Work Of Immigrants During Pandemic

Viral Poem Highlights Essential Work Of Immigrants During Pandemic
A poem recited by members of the black and minority ethnic communities of Britain has gone viral. You Clap Me Now showcases the essential key workers, a large percentage of whom have immigrated or come from immigrant families, and their work during the pandemic to keep Britons safe. The poem is written by Darren Smith, Sachini Imbuldeniya produced the video and editing is by Ruben Alvarado.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--Full Brexit This Year Will Prolong The Pain In Social Care

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Double Whammy
Social care workers will no doubt welcome Matt Hancock’s decision to grant them a “CARE” badge to help them get priority at supermarkets alongside NHS workers.
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But you wouldn’t blame them for acknowledging it through gritted teeth given social care’s status as a Cinderella service that was in deep crisis before coronavirus began ripping through UK homes.
The health and social care secretary has finally woken up to the dire situation, promising tests for residents and staff with Covid-19 symptoms without properly setting out how many are available and when they will be rolled out en masse.
But the government is at risk of giving a little with one hand and taking away a lot with another.
Its decision to instruct chief Brexit negotiator David Frost to tell the EU that the UK will not be extending the Brexit transition period beyond December 31 threatens to prolong the pain for care homes even beyond the Covid-19 crisis.
As the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) warned in January, ending free movement and low-skilled migration at the end of the year would lead to “increased pressure” on social care, a sector in which 115,000 workers (around 8%) come from the EU.
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Boris Johnson could help by following through on his Downing Street promise last summer to fix the care crisis.
But so far all we’ve got is a letter from Hancock calling for opposition parties to write to him with ideas and there appears little prospect of a solution soon.
And as one all-consuming crisis follows another, they threaten even more damage to a neglected sector already on its knees.
Still, at least they’ve got a badge.
It is also worth mentioning the much broader impact of Brexit-proper on the UK’s economy, which is already on life support amid the Covid-19 crisis.
Even if there are economic benefits to Brexit, they will not be seen immediately when the UK leaves the single market on December 31 and firms have to navigate a morass of regulations and potential tariffs that simply did not exist before.
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As one industry insider told me earlier: “The idea that a man-made economic hit on top of the chaos caused by Covid is helpful is beyond baffling.”
Many firms will be crossing their fingers that the prime minister is alive to the dangers and open to a classic EU fudge - a transition extension in all but name - that could soften the blow.
Quote Of The Day
“Covid-19 does not discriminate between rich nations and poor, large nations and small. It does not discriminate between nationalities, ethnicities, or ideologies. Neither do we. This is a time for all of us to be united in our common struggle against a common threat. A dangerous enemy. When we’re divided the virus exploits the cracks between us.”
– World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw funding from the body.
Cheat Sheet
The number of people who have died in UK hospitals after contracting coronavirus has risen by 761 in 24 hours. It brings the working total to 12,868 – an increase of 6% on yesterday’s total of 12,107.
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Families losing loved ones to coronavirus will get “the right to say goodbye”, health secretary Matt Hancock has said.
Police in England have issued 3,203 fines against people for breaching coronavirus lockdown measures between March 27 and April 13.
Ministers have extended the cut-off date for its emergency wage subsidy by three weeks, amid fears the scheme left people who were changing jobs out-of-pocket.
Struggling fashion chains Oasis and Warehouse have collapsed into administration as the latest high street names to fail during the coronavirus lockdown.
What I’m Reading
Why Keir Starmer is right to push for a debate on the government’s lockdown exit strategy | New Statesman
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--UK Farm Charters Flight To Bring In Romanian Fruit Pickers Despite Appeal For Furloughed Workers

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Fruit and vegetable pickers are being flown from Romania to the UK to keep up with demand – despite a government plan to send furloughed workers into the fields.
An air charter company said it has arranged for a flight to bring up to 180 Eastern European farm workers to Stansted Airport in Essex on Thursday. It has been reported that up to five more flights are planned.
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The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has previously expressed concern about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on recruitment of workers to pick fruit and vegetables this summer.
Demand for groceries surged as people stockpiled food due to the outbreak. Last week HuffPost UK revealed the government is preparing to ask millions of university students and furloughed workers to pick fruit and veg amid the coronavirus crisis in a national “Pick for Britain” campaign.
The NFU believes up to 95% of the usual 70,000-strong seasonal workforce may be lost, and that UK-based employees unable to do their day-to-day jobs will need to step in.
Vice president Tom Bradshaw told HuffPost UK: “We are nervous, but we’re hopeful the British public will step up to the challenge in the national interest.”
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But it appears the pledge has come too late for at least one UK-based farming company, which has been left with no choice but to fly in European workers. It will be one of very few flights taking off or landing at any British airports, with the government advising Brits against all non-essential overseas travel indefinitely and nearly all scheduled commercial flights grounded.
Surrey-based Air Charter Service told the PA news agency that the undisclosed company had paid for Thursday’s flight. An Airbus A320 aircraft will be used, at an estimated cost of £200 to £250 per seat – much more expensive than typical air fares with low-cost carriers.
According to The Times, passengers on board the aircraft will be expected to maintain social distancing and will not be allowed to leave Romania if they show any symptoms of coronavirus. They will then be transported by bus to sites across the south-east and Lincolnshire.
A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) spokesperson confirmed the government was not involved in chartering the flights of European workers – but did not say if the department supported the move.
They added: “We know the demand for seasonal agricultural workers will rise in the months ahead, which is why we are working hard with industry to ensure farmers and growers have the support they need ahead of this time.
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“We are encouraging as many people as possible to take part in seasonal working opportunities across the country to help bring the harvest in, and recruitment efforts by industry are well underway.”
Air Charter Service confirmed that an airline based at Stansted would operate the flight, which was booked last week.
Carriers based at the Essex airport include Ryanair, Jet2.com and Tui Airways.
At least 10 other flights have been arranged by Air Charter Service to take farm workers from Romania and Bulgaria to Germany.
The company said it has seen a surge in demand for charter flights due to the pandemic, including to repatriate people stranded around the world.
It comes amid news that unemployment could increase by two million and UK GDP could fall by 35% in the second quarter of 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, a scenario outlined by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) on Tuesday.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--Thousands Of UK's Coronavirus Tests Unused Every Day, Government Figures Show

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Nearly 20,000 available coronavirus tests are going unused in the UK every day, according to the government’s own figures – despite urgent calls from the care sector and firefighters for more swabs.
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Downing Street said on Thursday the UK now has the capacity to conduct 35,000 coronavirus tests a day – but fewer than half that number are currently being carried out.
Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson said that, in the 24 hours up to 9am on Wednesday, 15,994 tests were carried out across England, Scotland and Wales. Several hundred more will have been conducted in Northern Ireland, which does not report exact figures.
“We have been very clear that, where there is spare capacity available, that should be used on NHS staff, on their families, and in social care,” the spokesperson said.
Matt Hancock, the health secretary, on Wednesday claimed the reason that the figures on the number of tests done had been flat over the weekend was “because of not enough demand, rather than not enough capacity”.
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No.10 said on Thursday that, of the tests conducted in the 24 hours up to 9am, 13,950 were carried out by NHS England, Public Health England and the devolved administrations.
A further 2,040 were conducted at drive-through sites for NHS staff and their families.
Total testing capacity, the government claims, includes 20,771 in public facilities and a further 14,300 through commercial testing facilities.
Yet thousands of key workers – including medics – have been stuck in quarantine and unable to work without the all-clear.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has warned that almost 3,000 fire and rescue staff are currently in self-isolation because of a “fiasco” in testing, arguing that only a “fraction” of those unable to work because of their symptoms are likely to have the virus.
Demanding urgent testing for firefighters, FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: “If we aren’t able to find out exactly who is infected, and more staff isolate unnecessarily, services will be put on a dangerous knife-edge.”
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The gap between the UK’s actual daily testing rate and its claims of increasing capacity comes amid questions about whether the government will be able to hit its target of 100,000 Covid-19 tests a day by the end of April.
The government has missed its aim to complete 25,000 tests a day by mid-April.
But ministers remain adamant the UK is on track to meet its 100,000-a-day target for the end of the month.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--'You Clap For Me Now': The Story Behind The Powerful Poem Read By Key Workers

You Clap For Me Now
So, it’s finally happened,
That thing you were afraid of,
Something’s come from overseas,
And taken your jobs,
Made it unsafe to walk the streets,
Kept you trapped in your home.
A dirty disease,
Your proud nation, gone.
But not me. Or me.
Or me. Or me.
No, you clap for me now.
You cheer as I toil,
Bringing food to your family,
Bringing food from your soil.
Propping up your hospitals,
Not some foreign invader.
Delivery driver. Teacher. Life saver.
Don’t say ‘go home’,
Don’t say ‘not here’,
You know how it feels for home to be a prison,
You know how it feels to live in fear.
So you clap for me now.
All this love you are bringing,
But don’t forget when it’s no longer quiet,
Don’t forget when you can no longer hear the birds singing,
Or see clear waters, that I crossed for you,
To make lives filled with peace,
And bring peace to your life too.
Come all you Gretas,
You Malalas,
You immigrants,
See what we have learned.
It only takes the smallest thing,
To change the world.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--Families Get 'Right To Say Goodbye' To Dying Loved Ones Amid Coronavirus Lockdown

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Families losing loved ones to coronavirus will get “the right to say goodbye”, health secretary Matt Hancock has said.
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The cabinet minister said the chance to make contact with loved ones a final time would be rolled out “wherever possible”.
It comes as many are left distraught that they are unable to see those severely ill in care homes and hospitals due to the risk of infection.
Speaking at the Downing Street press briefing on Wednesday, he said “wanting to be with someone you love at the end of their life is one of the deepest human instincts” but that “coronavirus had made this much more difficult”.
He said: “I’m pleased to say that, working with Public Health England, the care sector and many others, we are introducing new procedures so we can limit the risk of infection while, wherever possible, giving people’s closest loved ones the chance to say goodbye.”
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The minister also said that he wept at reports of 13-year-old Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab dying from the disease without a parent at his bedside.
“I have been really moved and upset at some of the heartbreaking stories of people dying without a loved one nearby,” he said.
“As the father of a 13-year-old myself, the reports of Ismail dying aged 13 without a parent at his bedside made me weep, and the sight of his coffin being lowered into a grave without a family member present was too awful.”
Hancock also said the government was making “crystal clear” that it is unacceptable for advanced care plans – including do not resuscitate orders – to be applied in a blanket fashion to any group of people.
“This must always be a personalised process, as it always has been,” he said.
Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Professor Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical officer, meanwhile said he believes the UK is “probably” reaching the peak of the outbreak.
He said that deaths may continue to rise later this week, however, adding: “At the moment we are not yet at the point where we can say confidently and safely: ‘This is now past the peak and we can start thinking very much about the next phases.’”
In a separate development and amid much criticism of the government’s handling of the crisis in care homes, Hancock said a supply network of “unprecedented scale” would help get personal protective equipment (PPE) to the sector’s frontline staff.
He also announced a new “single brand” with a badge for care workers, which he said may help them access similar perks to NHS staff.
“This badge will be a badge of honour in a very real sense, allowing social care staff proudly and publicly to identify themselves, just like NHS staff do with that famous blue and white logo.
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“I know that many businesses will want to offer the same recognition and benefits as they do wonderfully to the NHS.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--Warehouse And Oasis Fashion Chains Collapse With 2,000 Jobs At Risk

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Struggling fashion chains Oasis and Warehouse have collapsed into administration as the latest high street names to fail during the coronavirus lockdown.
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Around 2,000 workers across 92 stores and 437 concessions are affected, although administrators said the majority would remain furloughed for now.
But 200 were made redundant on Wednesday by Deloitte, as administrators try and find a buyer.
Online trading continues “in the short term”, the company added.
Hash Ladha, chief executive of Oasis Warehouse, said: “This is a situation that none of us could have predicted a month ago, and comes as shocking and difficult news for all of us.
“We as a management team have done everything we can to try and save the iconic brands that we love.”
The retailer was owned by Kaupthing, the failed Icelandic bank, and its own administrators had tried to sell Oasis Warehouse three years ago, but this was later abandoned.
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Rob Harding, joint administrator at Deloitte, said: “Covid-19 has had a devastating effect on the entire retail industry and not least the Oasis Warehouse group.
“Despite management’s best efforts over recent weeks, and significant interest from potential buyers, it has not been possible to save the business in its current form.”
The Oasis and Warehouse Group has been looking for a saviour for weeks, according to reports.
But the coronavirus pandemic is eating into British high street businesses, which were already feeling the pinch before the outbreak started.
The company’s 142 stores were already closed and most of the 22,000 members of staff on furlough before the owners pushed the business into administration.
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The company said at the time: “This move will protect Debenhams from the threat of legal action that could have the effect of pushing the business into liquidation while its 142 UK stores remain closed in line with the Government’s current advice regarding the Covid-19 pandemic.”
The coronavirus crisis has also forced Flybe to collapse, and Carluccio’s and BrightHouse have also closed their doors.
Other businesses are hoping to be able to reopen when the lockdown is lifted.
But some are now concerned at the high costs needed to reopen and restock stores once any restrictions are eased.
Landlords and retailers are also at an impasse, with reports that some landlords are threatening court action over unpaid bills.
Retailers are also keen to ensure they can access the government’s furlough scheme funding ahead of payday at the end of the month.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--Watch Live: Matt Hancock Leads Daily Coronavirus Conference

Watch Live: Matt Hancock Leads Daily Coronavirus Conference
Health secretary Matt Hancock leads the daily coronavirus briefing as global coronavirus cases pass two million and the number of people who have tested positive in the UK nears 100,000


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--Cut-Off Date For Coronavirus Emergency Wages Scheme Extended

Chancellor Rishi Sunak ASSOCIATED PRESS
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Ministers have extended the cut-off date for its emergency wage subsidy by three weeks, amid fears the scheme left people who were changing jobs out-of-pocket.
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Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s coronavirus job retention scheme (CJRS) allows employers to furlough their staff as it covers 80% of a worker’s wage up to £2,500-a-month.
The cut-off date has now been moved by three weeks from February 28 to March 19 - the day before Sunak officially announced the move - meaning thousands more will be covered by the bailout.
The Treasury had faced a tide of criticism that people who were switching roles before the Covid-19 crisis had no safety net.
Business groups had also complained that firms had to decide by April 18 if they could keep staff on beyond the end of May. This is because employment law means companies must carry out a 45-day consultation period for redundancy proposals.
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The Treasury expects 200,000 people will benefit from the move.
Paymaster general Penny Mordaunt said she was “sorry it was not done sooner”.
She tweeted: “This will help more people and is very welcome. Sorry it was not done sooner and know how worried people will have been.
“Hope to have an update on other Treasury matters soon.”
It comes as the department for work and pensions faces an unprecedented level of benefit claimants, with some 1.4m applying for Universal Credit since Boris Johnson announced the UK would go into lockdown.
The extra cost for UC is estimated to be around £10bn so far.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--This BBC Weather Presenter's Drum Solo To The News Theme Is One Of The Most Unexpected Lockdown Mome

This BBC Weather Presenter's Drum Solo To The News Theme Is One Of The Most Unexpected Lockdown Moments Yet

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We’re sadly hearing the BBC News theme more than ever at the moment, but we guarantee you’ve never heard it like this before.
A weather forecaster for the BBC has given the familiar tune a makeover after getting bored in lockdown, which has gone viral online.
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BBC North West’s Owain Wyn Evans posted a video of himself dashing to his drum kit after he finished presenting his forecast from home, so he could play along to the closing music.
BBC News drummer Owain Wyn Evans BBC
He tweeted: “When they said try working from home I didn’t realise they’d expect me to do the music too.”
It wasn’t long before his employers got wind of the video and invited him on the BBC News channel for a special live rendition.
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When they said try working from home I didn’t realise they’d expect me to do the music too @BBCNews @BBCNWT #BBCNewsTheme 🥁 #workingfromhome pic.twitter.com/DVXjDw0l8F — Owain Wyn Evans (@OwainWynEvans) April 15, 2020
Owain said: “We are all trying to find ways of keeping our spirits up during this difficult time of lockdown, and it is great that this has proved such a hit.
“It started out as a fun idea and has really caught on.
“The tune itself is obviously a bit of a banger anyway, and I knew it would sound brilliant on the drums.”
Of course, he’s not the only one who has been getting creative with the BBC News theme during lockdown.
Last mont, TikTok user Rachel Leary became a viral sensation when she posted a video of herself performing a fake DJ set to the current affairs banger.
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positively phenomenal use of the BBC News theme tune. Little does she know this is actually how we make the news pic.twitter.com/3Zx8pw2eeM — Sophia Smith Galer (@sophiasgaler) March 24, 2020
Keep up the excellent work, guys.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--17 No-Bake Desserts For Everyone Who's Too Exhausted To Bake

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If you’re sheltering in place during the coronavirus pandemic, you probably miss some creature comforts from days of yore ― like being able to make a quick run to the supermarket or bakery to satisfy a sweets craving.
If you’ve got a hankering for dessert but can’t be bothered to bake ― maybe you’re working from home, or you’re suddenly a home-school teacher, or both ― these no-bake recipes are just the quick fix you need.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--Female Leaders Against The Coronavirus Pandemic

Female Leaders Against The Coronavirus Pandemic
From Taiwan to Germany, Iceland to New Zealand, the nations led by women have been doing very well during the coronavirus pandemic, with early interventions, swift lockdowns and sufficient testing.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--Why Lifting Coronavirus Lockdowns Is A Difficult Balancing Act

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Even as many nations struggle to control the coronavirus pandemic, politicians are facing increasing pressure to chart a course out of the crisis and announce plans for resuming social and economic activity.
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“Although it is clear that the path back to normalcy will take a long time, it is also obvious that we cannot maintain these extraordinary restrictions indefinitely,” EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen says in a document set to be unveiled on Wednesday outlining the EU’s roadmap for lifting coronavirus restrictions.
The plan calls for member states to coordinate easing their restrictions, and acknowledges it may be many weeks or months before such measures can be lifted completely.
“We will have to live with the virus until a vaccine has been developed,” von der Leyen states.
Already, at least half a dozen European countries, including Austria, Denmark, Spain, Italy and the Czech Republic, have begun lifting their containment measures, allowing certain nonessential businesses, such as bookshops, hardware stores, garden centres, and manufacturing firms, to reopen.
The EU roadmap, along with the early moves that nations have taken on their own, highlights the dilemma that many countries face as they struggle to protect the public from the coronavirus while also recognising the strain that the lockdown measures are causing for individuals, families and the economy.
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Lifting the restrictions too soon, or relaxing them too much, could allow the virus to surge back, potentially costing thousands more lives. Maintaining the measures for too long, however, could cause other forms of harm.
“We agree the measures need to remain in place, but to maintain morale and hope, people need a sense of what comes next,” Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, said this week in a letter to foreign secretary Dominic Raab, who is filling in for Boris Johnson while he recovers from the coronavirus. “The silent pressures on communities across the country cannot be underestimated.”
Keir Starmer, the leader of UK's opposition Labour Party, has demanded that the government publish its coronavirus exit plan. Simon Dawson / Reuters
Starmer cited people struggling with mental health and other conditions that may be going untreated during the crisis, individuals suffering from loneliness and isolation, and people worried about losing their jobs and making ends meet.
“This lockdown is not affecting people equally. In fact, it has exacerbated existing inequalities in our country,” Starmer said. “A family living in an overcrowded flat will have particular challenges. And it is hard to imagine the daily horror of someone trapped in a home with his or her abuser. The government has a duty to do what it can to alleviate these pressures on people.”
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The UK government plans to announce this week that the country’s lockdown will continue. In his letter, Starmer demanded that the government publish its exit strategy in the coming week, but Downing Street has resisted such calls.
“Talk of an exit strategy before we have reached the peak risks confusing the critical message that people need to stay at home in order to protect our NHS and save lives,” a government source said.
Linda Bauld, a public health professor at the University of Edinburgh and former government adviser, predicted that primary schools could be among the first public institutions to reopen as part of the gradual lifting of the UK’s coronavirus lockdown. The resumption of school would free many adults to return to work.
“From my understanding, there is a very strong desire by government to get the schools open,” Bauld told HuffPost UK. “Then the question is: do they have a phased return? For example, do they only allow half the class to go in and they teach for half a day? And then they rotate and the other half of the class go back in the afternoon? That seems to me possible.”
“So, I think that in order to get more of the working-age population, the parents, at a better level, even if they’re still working from home, schools are going to be a priority.”
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Bauld acknowledged, however, that widespread testing and contact tracing would be essential to any exit strategy. “We need to continue to [maintain restrictions], and probably we need to continue to do that in public for quite some time – until we’ve got our testing and contact tracing system better set up,” she said. “You’re probably looking at a few months.”
That assessment was echoed by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who emphasised at a news conference on Monday that lifting restrictions would need to happen slowly, and only in combination with a more robust system of virus surveillance.
“It cannot happen all at once,” Tedros said. “Control measures can only be lifted if the right public health measures are in place, including significant capacity for contact tracing.”
Director-general of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a news conference on the outbreak of the coronavirus in Geneva, Switzerland, March 16, 2020. Handout / Reuters
In Italy, politicians have been eager to begin discussing “phase two”, when restrictions can be lifted, but public health officials have pushed back strongly against talking about such plans, arguing that the country is still struggling to control the virus.
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And while researchers are rushing to study Covid-19, many questions remain unanswered, such as whether people who recover from the virus develop immunity – making it difficult for politicians to plan an exit strategy.
“I ask the scientific community, without controversy, to give us irrefutable certainties and not three or four options for each topic,” Francesco Boccia, Italy’s minister for regional affairs, said recently, according to HuffPost Italy. “Can those who have already had the virus be reinfected? There is no answer. The same goes for serological tests. We demand clarity, otherwise the science is useless. We politicians take responsibility for making decisions, but scientists have to put us in a position to do so. We can’t sit still until a vaccine arrives.”
It is likely, therefore, that more countries will start to lift restrictions slowly and gradually, and impose stronger lockdown measures again if the virus starts to surge back – balancing public health with broader social and economic considerations.
Ultimately, however, waiting for a vaccine may be the only true way out of the pandemic.
“Our global connectedness means the risk of reintroduction and resurgence of the diseases will continue,” Tedros said. “Ultimately, the development and delivery of a safe and effective vaccine will be needed to fully interrupt transmission.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--As Quiz Comes To A Close, Which Classic TV Moment Should ITV Use For Their Next Drama?

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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--Donald Trump’s 3-Month-Old Tweet About China And The Coronavirus Comes Back To Haunt Him

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A tweet that President Donald Trump posted in January praising China’s response to the coronavirus outbreak has already come back to haunt him, after he again attempted to shift blame for his own administration’s failures in addressing the pandemic.
Trump on Tuesday announced the US would suspend funding to the World Health Organisation, accusing the body of being “very China-centric” and of “severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of coronavirus” by taking the word of officials in China, where the virus is believed to have originated.
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Critics of Trump immediately hammered the president for this Jan. 24 tweet, in which he hailed China for “working very hard to contain the Coronavirus.”
China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2020
“The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency,” Trump wrote, adding: “It will all work out well.”
Worldwide, the contagion has now sickened more than 2 million people and killed upwards of 126,000. In the US, some 26,000 people have died from Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus.
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CNN’s John King noted Trump’s hypocrisy on Tuesday’s broadcast of “Outfront.” He pointed out that the WHO’s response was “flat-footed” and “did overly trust China,” but urged host Erin Burnett to “look at the president’s own words.”
“He said we were working with the World Health Organisation back in the early days and things were fantastic,” King noted, adding: “He said the World Health Organisation is responsible for deaths around the world because it cozied up to China. He did the same thing.”
Check out the segment here:
And the response to Trump’s old tweet here:
FACT-CHECK:
Pres. Trump is trying to blame the WHO for its early coronavirus response and basically "taking China's word" - here was Pres. Trump in *January*: https://t.co/7SGRmX3xrp — Ari Melber (@AriMelber) April 14, 2020
President Trump says U.S. is pulling funding to WHO because the group praised China's "transparency."
Below is President Trump's tweet from January 24 praising China's transparency. https://t.co/zVew3c212c — Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) April 14, 2020
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Trump, tonight: "I don't talk about China's transparency."
Trump, in January: "The United States greatly appreciates [China's] efforts and transparency." https://t.co/AvL2GJhgWk — Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) April 14, 2020
Trump just denied that he ever said this below... https://t.co/QOQDEGjZ3H — Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) April 14, 2020
Trump is now trying to blame the coronavirus on the World Health Organization and complaining that the WHO praised China for its transparency.
Guess who else praised China for its transparency? https://t.co/QOQDEGjZ3H — Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) April 14, 2020
A president who never takes responsibility. https://t.co/CrQetOQ9Lv — EDWARD Israel-Ayide (@wildeyeq) April 15, 2020
Here's the President praising China's transparency, the very thing he's accusing the @WHO of. https://t.co/kRhvqAUOQq — Bill Neely (@BillNeelyNBC) April 14, 2020
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Lest we forget https://t.co/6QXcFdWnxx — Tom Miles (@tgemiles) April 15, 2020
Just in case anybody was confused as to why a reporter might claim Donald Trump said a thing, which he then strongly denies ever having said.
"He strongly denies it," is, on a side note, the phrase he uses when defending friends he has employed who are accused of crimes. https://t.co/J4tZw1xnol — Dylan Brody (@dylanbrody) April 14, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--Police Have Issued 3,203 Fines For Breaches Of Coronavirus Lockdown In England

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Police in England have issued 3,203 fines against people for breaching coronavirus lockdown measures between March 27 and April 13.
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Senior officers stressed on Wednesday that the number of fines for breaching social distancing regulations amounted to less than 0.01% of the population of England, where the figures were gathered.
Martin Hewitt, the chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), said the figures showed officers were “using those powers proportionately”.
It came amid criticism of some forces for over zealously using the lockdown laws, with incidents including an officer being filmed attempting to force someone inside from their garden, and one police chief suggesting they could check people’s shopping trolleys for “non-essential” items.
Sarah Glenn, the NPCC’s charging lead, acknowledged that in a small number of cases “where the police have got it wrong, we have put our hands up and that’s been clarified”.
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Forces have dealt with 112,000 specifically coronavirus-related incidents and 178,000 anti-social behaviour incidents, some of which may also relate to the public health measures depending on how forces record it.
Mounted police officers speak to people on Primrose Hill, London, as the UK continues in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. PA
Men are overwhelmingly the worst offenders, accounting for 82% of cases, while a third of coronavirus offenders were aged 18 to 24 and a further third aged 25 to 35.
There were 39 tickets issued to under-18s which will be rescinded because the legislation does not allow for this, while 26 people aged between 65 and 100 breached the regulations.
The majority (60%) of offenders identified as white, 23% did not identify their ethnicity, 10% were Asian, 4% were Black and 2% were mixed race.
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Officers said this showed no ethnicity was suffering disproportionate enforcement.
Hewitt said: “The vast majority of people are staying at home in order to protect the NHS and help save lives.
“However, we have seen a small minority of people who, despite our best efforts, have refused to follow the instructions and officers have needed to use their enforcement powers.
“I want to thank everyone who is being responsible and following the regulations.
“Provisional data on the number of fines issued by police forces shows proportionate policing of these new regulations.
“Police have interacted with the public in their tens of thousands, with most engagements ending positively and with no need for a fine.
“Our approach of engage, explain and encourage, and only as a last resort, enforce, is working and will continue.”
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The NPCC also stressed that the data, covering the period up to April 13, was provisional, intended as a guide only and may be revised as more information becomes available.
The data also showed overall crime was down by 28% in the four weeks to April 12 compared to the same period last year, not including fraud.
Serious assaults and personal robbery have fallen by 27% and rape 37%.
Falls have also been seen in residential burglary (down 37%), vehicle crime (down 34%) and shoplifting (down 54%).


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--12 Facts You Didn't Know About Quiz, The Ingrams And The Millionaire Coughing Scandal

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With the nation confined to their houses amid the coronavirus outbreak, it’s somewhat ironic that a drama about a coughing scandal is currently the most talked-about TV show.
Over five million of us are tuning in to watch Quiz, the dramatisation of Charles Ingram’s infamous appearance on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? in 2001.
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It saw the former army major accused of cheating his way to the jackpot with a supposed scheme involving a series of coughs from his wife Diana and an accomplice.
The behind-the-scenes look at what became a huge national scandal at the time has sparked further intrigue for many – not just in relation to the case and the Ingrams’ apparent guilt, but also in the original development of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? and how this incredible story was made into a TV drama.
Here’s 12 fascinating facts you didn’t know about Quiz, the Ingrams and the coughing scandal...
Charles Ingram won £1m on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? in 2001 Shutterstock
1. There was some creative licence used in scenes about how Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? got its name
In the development and piloting stages, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? was called Cash Mountain, and in one scene in Quiz, we saw how Celador exec Paul Smith decided to change the name after hearing a stage hand whistling Cole Porter’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
While the High Society song was indeed the inspiration for the change of name, the show’s writer James Graham told the Final Answer podcast that the scene was “artistic licence” and not based on true events.
2. The name change also had implications for one Pete Waterman
Former Pop Idol judge and record label boss Pete Waterman had previously produced all the music for the Cash Mountain pilot, which took a much cheesier and light-hearted tone.
However, after the show’s name changed, his tracks were dumped when producers decided the show needed to be more dramatic.
Celador boss Paul Smith had originally approached Simon Cowell to write a song that would generate advance publicity for the show.
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Simon Cowell and Pete Waterman PA Archive/PA Images
He told the Royal Television Society (via the Guardian): “I believed that we should have a hit record that would be released, six weeks or two months before the show, and it would get in the charts and the DJs would say, this is the music from the forthcoming ITV show.
“We went to Simon Cowell who was running BMG at the time and persuaded him it would be a good idea. He said let’s get Pete Waterman in, and we recorded and produced all the music.
“It was self evident from the pilot that the music definitely did not work, but irrespective of that BMG pulled out and said we are not going to release it in advance of the show, we will wait until the show airs. That wasn’t the deal we had.”
3. The glitter cannon incident really did happen
One of the most memorable scenes from the second episode saw the floor manager realise that the glitter cannon had not been loaded to celebrate in the event of Charles winning £1m.
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We then saw the “glitter man” receive a call while taking a break in his van, before having to dash inside to load the cannon up.
While you might have thought this scene was made up for comedic purposes, James revealed on the Final Answer podcast that it was actually based on reality.
“There was a glitter man who hadn’t readied the glitter, because no one thought Charles was going to get to the million pound question based on his first night performance,” James explained. “It’s a moment I’m glad has stayed in.”
Shutterstock
4. There was an incident after Charles’ win that doesn’t feature in Quiz
In Quiz, we saw how suspicions about Charles were raised among crew and Millionaire execs during his game. But Quiz did not include the moment Celador’s head of marketing, Rod Taylor, frisked Charles after the recording, suspicious he was using a pager to be informed of the correct answer.
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While nothing was found, it was not the first time pagers were mentioned in the case, as during their trial, the court heard evidence from the prosecution suggesting they had experimented with using mobile devices before supposedly settling on the “coughing” scheme.
In another scene omitted from Quiz, Chris Tarrant also drank champagne with the Ingrams in their dressing room after Charles’ win.
Recalling the encounter when he gave evidence in court, Chris said: “They seemed as normal as people who have just won a million pounds would be in the situation.”
5. Quiz does actually contain some real Millionaire footage
In the first episode, we met contestant Rachel Da Costa, who wanted to win enough money to pay for her wedding, but was left gutted when her dad didn’t know the answer to her Phone A Friend question.
The shots of Rachel were in fact real, and were cut together with footage of Michael Sheen as Chris Tarrant.
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Rachel Da Costa was a real player ITV
Editor Pia di Ciaula told the Final Answer podcast that this exercise was a “major challenge”, admitting that the real Chris Tarrant can actually still be seen in some of the wider shots.
6. But that’s not the only time the real Chris Tarrant appears
Michael Sheen as Chris Tarrant ITV/Matt Frost
As well as featuring in real footage taken from the National Television Awards, where Millionaire was seen triumphing, the show’s editor also left a little Tarrant-shaped easter egg in the final edit.
She said: “As a little joke, I even left in some of the dialogue from Chris Tarrant and no one noticed. They will assume it’s Michael Sheen because I planted a few of these lines.”
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7. Michael Sheen isn’t the only one who can do a mean Chris Tarrant
While Michael Sheen’s remarkably uncanny performance as Millionaire presenter Chris Tarrant has been widely praised, it turns out there’s someone who can do just as good an impression.
In fact, we’d go as far as to say Chris’ son – RadioX DJ Toby Tarrant – does his father even better than the real thing...
A throwback to @Tobytarrant impersonating his dad Chris Tarrant. Will make your day 😂💚#QUIZ pic.twitter.com/9zCfqti0oU — Radio X (@RadioX) April 14, 2020
Posting a video clip on Twitter, Toby joked: “Not as good as Michael Sheen but would have been WAY cheaper...”
He added of the show: ”@michaelsheen as expected is brilliant as Dad... To be fair, he’s so good he’d probably be convincing as my Norwegian auntie Tina.”
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8. Aisling Bea’s character became one of the biggest players at ITV
We’ve already seen how Aisling Bea’s character Claudia Rosenkatz was responsible for getting Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? commissioned at ITV.
But after her breakthrough hit, the former journalist went on to become a rather big deal at the broadcaster, commissioning some of their biggest and best-loved shows, many of which are still on air today.
Aisling Bea as Claudia Rosencrantz ITV
As Controller of Entertainment for ITV, she was the person who commissioned the original celebrity version of Love Island in 2005, as well as Popstars, Pop Idol, The X Factor, I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, Dancing On Ice and Britain’s Got Talent.
Claudia was also credited with transitioning Ant and Dec from kids TV presenters to primetime stars, as well as making a household name of Simon Cowell.
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After leaving ITV in 2006, she worked for Living TV and Virgin Media Television, before joining Jamie Oliver’s Media Group as the Director of Programmes of Fresh One. She now owns her own production company, Studio 1.
9. The Ingrams had a tumultuous time after the scandal
After the Ingrams were found guilty at trial and handed suspended sentences and hefty fines, the case had a long-lasting effect on the couple.
Not only was Charles kicked out of the army after 17 years of service over the scandal, they also went bankrupt.
The Ingrams were found guilty after their trial Steve Maisey/Shutterstock
By 2006, it was reported Charles had spent £300,000 in legal costs fighting in the law courts to clear his name, but with no result. He told of how he contemplated suicide at one point over his mounting debts and lack of savings and described the period after losing the £1m as “a deeply depressing time of despair”.
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Charles and Diana also became minor celebrities in the years after the scandal, appearing on reality shows like The Games, The Weakest Link and Wife Swap, where they swapped partners with late Big Brother star Jade Goody and her then-boyfriend Jeff Brazier.
Charles also made headlines in 2010 when he sliced off three of his toes in a lawnmower accident.
“I was only wearing Wellingtons and it sliced right through the rubber,” he told the Daily Mail at the time. “I remember seeing my big toe lying on the grass and thinking, ‘Oh dear’.”
Medics were unable to save his toes as they “were just too mangled”.
The Ingrams have since been living a quiet life away from the public eye in the West Country.
10. The Ingrams were actually heavily involved with the development of Quiz
With Quiz revisiting a huge national scandal that was a source of much anguish for the Ingrams – who have always maintained their innocence – you might have thought they’d wanted nothing to do with it.
Not so.
Writer James Graham, who’d previously turned the story into a West End stage play in 2017, approached the Ingrams after he signed up to adapt it into a TV drama.
Revealing he met people on “both sides of the debate” including ITV and Celador execs, James says of the Ingrams: “They both came to see the stage play and talked to me then. And we’ve been in contact ever since, all the way through developing and producing the TV drama, including them visiting the actors on set one day when we were filming. So that has been a constant journey.
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“The Ingrams were understandably maybe a little bit wary at first and not hugely enthusiastic about dredging up, essentially, a 15-year-old story just as they try to maintain as normal a life as is possible.
“However… because they understood we would be asking the question that possibly it didn’t play out exactly as people think, they were happy to give their point of view.”
Matthew MacFayden and Sian Clifford play Charles and Diana Ingram Matt Frost/ITV
The couple even visited the set, meeting actors Matthew MacFayden and Sian Clifford, who play them in the show.
11. And Charles has lauded the show on social media
He gave the first episode a five-star review, posting from his account (which a rep confirmed to HuffPost UK was genuine): “WOW. The cast, the story, the scenes, simply brilliant. Terrifyingly accurate and oh yes, horribly cringeworthy. Floored by the pure talent on show tonight. Well done too to @ITV. Gutsy.”
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He added that he thought Matthew had captured him brilliantly, adding: “Matthew is so damn good-looking I can’t sleep. Trying to kid myself I looked like that 19 years ago but failing miserably. Diana called me ‘Matthew’ as I was brushing my teeth.”
#Quiz. WOW.
The cast, the story, the scenes, simply brilliant. Terrifyingly accurate and oh yes, horribly cringeworthy. Floored by the pure talent on show tonight.
Well done too to @ITV. Gutsy.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐#StayHomeSaveLives — Charles Ingram #FBPE #RejoinEU (@gallantfive) April 13, 2020
👇 Totally. Matthew is so damn good-looking I can’t sleep. Trying to kid myself I looked like that 19 years ago but failing miserably. Diana called me ‘Matthew’ as I was brushing my teeth. 😧 #Quiz @ITV https://t.co/HuTJoM1vac — Charles Ingram #FBPE #RejoinEU (@gallantfive) April 14, 2020
As well as the drama’s performances, Charles admitted he had been astounded by some of the smaller details in the show, including how producers had used a similar car and bed to the ones he and Diana once owned.
“I loved that old Honda. Loaded and such a smooth ride. The attention to detail is unnerving,” he tweeted. He also wrote: “That’s our BED! How the heck did they find our bed?”
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12. But Charles and Diana are still trying to appeal the case
Nearly 19 years on from his appearance on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, Charles and his wife Diana are still hoping to appeal, after they were found guilty of deception at trial in 2003.
The couple’s defence lawyer Rhona Friedman says there has been “changes and advances in science that weren’t available at the trial” that have the “ability to properly discern the many coughs” that were seen as suspicious in the case.
Rhona spoke to This Morning via video-link ITV
Speaking on This Morning, she said: “When things go wrong during a police investigation and at trial, it can be very difficult to put it right, certainly many years later so you’re pushing the rock up the hill - it’s hard.
“But I think cumulatively, with work that’s ongoing, I hope that we’ll have enough to get the Court of Appeal to give us permission to look at this again.”
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She concluded: “I think to do appeals like this, which are incredibly time consuming, can take up many years of your life, if you don’t actually have a belief that the people you’re representing have been wrongly treated, there’s been a miscarriage of justice, it’s very difficult to carry on.
“And I can say to you with complete conviction I think there was a miscarriage of justice in this case.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--Coronavirus Deaths In UK Increase 761 In 24 Hours To 12,868

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The number of people who have died in UK hospitals after contracting coronavirus has risen by 761 in 24 hours.
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It brings the working total to 12,868 – an increase of 6% on yesterday’s total of 12,107.
The four devolved authorities in the UK had earlier on Wednesday reported increases of 651 in England, 84 in Scotland, six in Northern Ireland and 60 in Wales.
But the government tally is 40 shy of those four numbers, which total 12,908. Here’s a quick primer on why the figures don’t add up, and how to understand them.
In England, the people who died were aged 20 to 101. Among them were 20 people with no known underlying health conditions, including a 20-year-old.
Meanwhile, as of 9am on Wednesday, 98,476 people had tested positive in the UK: an increase of 4,605 since yesterday.
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In total, 15,994 tests were carried out in England, Wales and Scotland, on 11,170 people. In Northern Ireland, 577 people were tested, but the number of tests carried out is not known.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--Aidan Turner As Leonardo Da Vinci Is Giving Us Hot-Priest-From-Fleabag Vibes

Aiden Turner is no stranger to setting hearts fluttering after whipping his shirt off in the BBC’s Poldark.
Now the actor is set to return to our screens in another period drama - this time playing Leonardo da Vinci.
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A clip (above) of the 36-year-old star in Leonardo has been released to coincide with the Italian painter’s birthday, and we’re already getting hot-priest-from-Fleabag vibes.
The series, which will arrive on our screens next year, also stars Family Novel star Giancarlo Giannini, who plays da Vinci’s master Andrea Del Verrocchio, and The Undoing’s Matilda De Angelis as Caterina Da Cremona, da Vinci’s muse.
Aiden Turner in Leonardo Luxe Vide
Eleonaro Andreatta, head of drama at Rai, which produced the series, said: “Leonardo remains an inspirational figure around the world, and his ability to put together a prodigious synthesis of science and poetry, technology and art, is a reminder for us to trust in humanity’s capacity to cope with the adversity it faces.
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“That’s why we are excited to give to the public an insight into the tortured and captivating life he lived, and how his incredible vision has helped us to look to the future ever since the Renaissance.”
Aiden previously said his famous shirtless scything scene in Poldark made him appreciate how women feel when objectified.
He said that while he never felt personally objectified, it enabled him to have more empathy towards women who have found themselves in a similar position.
Aiden Turner as Poldark BBC
“I’m a man. It’s just not the same,” he told Radio Times. “It’s a completely different world for me. I walk down the street, I don’t ever feel scared. There are women who feel scared every day. It’s a very different world for me.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--What Happens Once You've Had Coronavirus – And Can It Come Back?

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We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
Prime minister Boris Johnson is recovering at country estate, Chequers, after spending a week in hospital, including a few days in intensive care.
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There, he’s been reunited with fiancée Carrie Symonds, who is pregnant. Symonds also spent a week in bed recovering from symptoms of the virus, but because she wasn’t tested, she hasn’t received an official diagnosis.
For the time being, the prime minister is not carrying out any government work, his spokesperson confirmed, focusing on his recovery instead. It’s a powerful reminder that recovery is still possible for most people who contract Covid-19.
But what actually happens once you’ve reached this stage of the illness? Are you now immune to coronavirus and what are the rules you should follow?
How long does coronavirus last?
People are thought to be infectious (meaning they can spread the virus to others) up to three days before symptoms develop. Doctors believe this infectious period can also last up to seven days after symptoms begin.
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Most people infected with the virus will have mild to moderate symptoms and recover. When symptoms start, people are advised to self-isolate for seven days if they live alone, or 14 days as a household, to prevent the virus spreading.
After this point, people can go about their normal lives as usual, although at this point, our new ‘normal’ is still lockdown, meaning only leaving the home once a day for exercise, essential work, or trips to the supermarket, and keeping a 2m distance from anyone outside your household at all times.
Nuthawut Somsuk via Getty Images
How long does it take to recover?
The average time from onset to clinical recovery for mild cases is approximately two weeks, according to the World Health Organisation, though for patients with severe or critical illness this can last longer, around three to six weeks.
A study of hospital patients in China found that 10 days after symptoms began, people with mild cases of coronavirus were clear of the virus. However where the viral load was higher and symptoms were more serious, the virus was still present after 10 days.
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Boris Johnson tested negative for the virus on being discharged from hospital, his spokesperson said. This was 17 days after first testing positive for it.
The prime minister will now be recovering at home and because he’s tested negative for the virus, he is safe to interact with others in his household once he feels able to do so. However Symonds falls into the vulnerable category, due to her pregnancy, and the official health advice encourages anyone who should be shielding to stay 2m apart from other people in their household, where possible.
Are you immune once you’ve had coronavirus?
The reality is that we don’t know at this stage. As Covid-19 is a newly identified pathogen, there is no known pre-existing immunity in humans – so researchers and doctors are working from a blank slate.
Based on what we know about the body’s reaction to other viruses, it’s believed that most people will be immune for a period of time after having the illness. Evidence from earlier coronavirus infections (SARS and MERS, for example) indicates that this immunity could last for up to three years.
It may be possible for some people to fall ill to Covid-19 twice – although the government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance did say this is “rare”. Ultimately, we need studies to determine whether we develop immunity to the virus after having it and how long that lasts for.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--Charles And Diana Ingram's Original Defence Lawyer Maintains Guilty Verdict Was A 'Miscarriage Of Ju

Charles And Diana Ingram's Original Defence Lawyer Maintains Guilty Verdict Was A 'Miscarriage Of Justice'

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Charles and Diana Ingram’s defence lawyer has insisted she still thinks the couple’s guilty verdict was a “miscarriage of justice”.
Back in 2001, the two were found guilty of “procuring the execution of a valuable security by deception”, having been accused of cheating their way to the top prize on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? using a scheme involving coughing.
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The events are currently being detailed in a three-part ITV drama, Quiz, the final instalment of which will cast doubt on the Ingrams’ guilt.
During Wednesday’s edition of This Morning, their defence lawyer Rhona Friedman revealed that she still believes the couple were innocent.
Charles and Diana Ingram with Chris Tarrant Shutterstock
Revealing that she was seeking an appeal almost 20 years on from the verdict, she told presenters Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford: “The delay has been caused by changes in science, advances in science that weren’t available at the trial and it’s not unusual in complicated cases like this for appeals to take place some time after the original conviction. This is a long one, I have to say, but science can move in some areas quite slowly.
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“Where we have got to now is the ability to properly discern the many coughs… There was actually a lot of coughing, although Charles and Chris Tarrant didn’t hear it during the recording.”
She continued: “There were about just under 200 coughs during the recording… Not all from Tecwen [Whittock, a fellow contestant who was found guilty alongside the Ingrams], from other people in the audience.
“And what we think we have managed to get to, and it’s a work in progress, for the first time is identify where Tecwen is coughing. Both coughs that the prosecution would say would be significant, and other completely innocent coughs, which properly contextualise how often this poor guy was coughing. He had, which I think was accepted at the trial, three different respiratory conditions. He was a habitual cougher.”
Rhona spoke to This Morning via video-link ITV
Rhona concluded: “I think to do appeals like this, which are incredibly time consuming, can take up many years of your life, if you don’t actually have a belief that the people you’re representing have been wrongly treated, there’s been a miscarriage of justice, it’s very difficult to carry on.
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“And I can say to you with complete conviction I think there was a miscarriage of justice in this case.”
The Ingrams – who have always maintained their innocence – received a suspended prison sentence of 18 months after being found guilty, as well as more than £100,000 in costs between them.
After their conviction, they went on to appear on shows like Celebrity Wife Swap and The Weakest Link, later telling the Guardian that he only suffered the publicity “through gritted teeth” because he needed the money. “I have only my notoriety to market - what can I do?” he said.
The Ingrams as depicted in Quiz Matt Frost/ITV
“It does seem to some people kind of an odd choice to get involved more with the medium that has in a sense kind of ruined you, but I think at that point they kind of thought, ‘In for a penny, in for a pound’,” Rhona told Eamonn and Ruth.
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“And they were in a lot of financial difficulties. And I think for many years now they have been living lives of a quiet obscurity, just getting on with things.”
The final part of Quiz airs on Wednesday night at 9pm on ITV, with Succession star Matthew MacFadyen and Fleabag’s Sian Clifford as Charles and Diana Ingram.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--Nancy Pelosi Urges Americans To Ignore Lies And ‘A Weak Person Who Blames Others’

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) assailed the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic in a letter to Democratic colleagues on Tuesday, saying the American people must instead “insist and act on the truth” as the nation reels from the ongoing crisis.
“This is an unbearably sad time with all Americans sharing the same devastating experience: we are grieving for those who have died from the coronavirus, we are fearful for our health and especially the health of our loved ones and we are heartbroken for our children who are unable to be in school and with their friends,” Pelosi wrote in a “Dear Colleague” letter. “We will overcome this moment, but success requires one fundamental from which all actions will follow: we need the truth. To succeed in this crisis, we must insist on the truth, and we must act upon it!”
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Now more than ever, we need the truth. And the truth is that Donald Trump dismantled the infrastructure handed to him which was meant to plan for and overcome a pandemic, resulting in unnecessary deaths and economic disaster. — Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) April 15, 2020
The lawmaker’s comments come as cases of Covid-19 continue to spread around the US. More than 600,000 people have been infected with the virus and more than 24,400 have died. New York City revised its own estimates this week, saying more than 10,000 of those fatalities were among its residents.
At the same time, Donald Trump has grown increasingly aggressive in his response to the pandemic, casting blame on governors, reporters and international health officials rather than what critics have said was a slow national response as cases of the coronavirus first appeared in the U.S. On Tuesday he said he planned to temporarily halt funding to the World Health Organisation over its handling of the pandemic, saying he felt the agency had “failed in its basic duty” and “must be held accountable.”
Pelosi rejected the president’s efforts to deflect responsibility on Tuesday, noting that despite cries from health officials who have struggled to obtain testing materials and personal protective equipment, many of those pleas have gone unanswered.
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“The truth is that in January, Donald Trump was warned about this pandemic, ignored those warnings, took insufficient action and caused unnecessary death and disaster,” she wrote, later stating: “The truth is a weak person, a poor leader, takes no responsibility. A weak person blames others.”
The speaker continued to say she was confident America would elevate “competent and honest leaders” who were “fully capable of making the right choices,” a nod to a network of governors who have leveraged the power of their states to keep people indoors and tamp down the spread of the virus. But Pelosi warned that without aggressive action to support the nation’s health professionals and heed science, “more lives will be lost.”
The truth is a weak person, a poor leader, takes no responsibility. A weak person blames others. — Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) April 15, 2020
“If we are not working from the truth … economic hardship and suffering will be extended unnecessarily and our children will not be safe, happy and learning,” Pelosi warned. “Our future will be healthy and prosperous if we no longer tolerate lies and deceit. We must recognize the truth, we must speak the truth, we must insist on the truth and we must and will act upon it.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--Anthony Fauci: White House Coronavirus Briefings Are 'Really Draining'

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The White House’s daily coronavirus briefings are wearing out one of its star attractions, Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Fauci, a top infectious disease expert, said on Tuesday that the televised news conferences with Donald Trump are “important,” but a time-suck. (See the video below.)
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“The downtime that we have there is really draining,” Fauci told The Associated Press in the clip. He described the waiting around, the preparation, the lengthy briefings themselves and the late hours he’s been keeping to perform other aspects of his job.
Fauci also tells @AP that the daily press briefings are important but "really draining." pic.twitter.com/rwa9xoLM2y — Kelly Daschle (@kellydaschle) April 14, 2020
“Being there, to be able to answer the questions of the media, I think is really important,” Fauci said. “Because we’re going through a real public health crisis in our country.”
Fauci did not appear at Tuesday’s briefing. Monday’s nearly 2 1/2-hour session featured Trump blasting reporters and showing a video montage suggesting he took forceful action on the approaching pandemic while the media downplayed it. Many of the briefings have run for hours.
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“If I had been able to just make a few comments and then go to work, that would have really been much better,” Fauci said. “It’s the downtime. It isn’t the idea of being there and answering questions, which I really think is important.”
Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has often corrected Trump’s false or rosy statements. He’s tempered the president’s urgency to restart the economy and his promotion of an old malaria drug as a coronavirus treatment.
Fauci also angered some conservatives over the weekend by telling CNN that the mortality rate could have been reduced if the government had acted sooner with social distancing guidelines and other measures to slow the pandemic.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--Live Stream Replay With HuffPost Wellness Editors: Managing Anxiety In A Pandemic

Live Stream Replay With HuffPost Wellness Editors: Managing Anxiety In A Pandemic
We are all struggling to make sense of the changes we must make in our daily lives as coronavirus cases spread across the world. Please join us for a live stream replay with Kate Palmer, head of HuffPost Life, as she interviews Lindsay Holmes, senior editor for wellness, about how to cope. Kate and Lindsay talk about their experiences covering the pandemic, share tips and answer questions from you on self-care, stress and more.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--Lockdown Is Bringing Us Closer To The People We Love – Even When We're Miles Apart

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We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
There are the daily FaceTimes with parents, Friday Houseparty sessions with mates and family cook-a-longs on Skype. There are the scheduled calls with grandparents, colleague catch-ups on Hangouts and pub quizzes on Zoom.
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Despite plenty of us having been indoors for a month or more now, we’re finding new ways to connect with those we care about – and some of us are feeling tighter-knit bonds as a result.
Sibling disputes have been resolved or forgotten, friends who haven’t spoken in ages are getting back in touch, parents are feeling stronger connections with their teenagers – and vice versa. For a lot of people, the usual relationship rulebook has been thrown out. Anything goes. And it’s actually quite... nice?
Sarah Wolf, who lives in Somerset, says she’s definitely witnessing a change in how she and her teenage daughter Bella interact. “We have become physically closer in that we are seeing a lot more of each other,” Wolf tells HuffPost UK.
“Normally, life dictates that we are like hamsters on a wheel with all the scheduling and lack of time, but now we are in lockdown together, the normal rota has gone out of the window.
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“We have more time to just be with each other, without any distraction.”
Sarah Wolf Sarah Wolf (right) with her daughter Bella (left)
The time gained means mother and daughter are doing more together – they’ve baked cakes, walked the dog, sorted the garden, and are sitting down at the dinner table to eat rather than, as Wolf puts it, “grabbing food and running off”.
“Partially this is because Bella, who is 15, is bored and so is okay to hang out with her mum more than normal, and secondly I think I’m less stressed and have more time to take my time over things,” the 45-year-old says.
Where once our hectic lifestyles didn’t allow for boredom, we now have hours and hours to fill – and have been forced to get creative. Faced with a threat to our health and livelihoods, we’re also reminded of those who matter most to us.
“Before this, we were both wrapped up in our own worlds except at the weekend,” says Wolf. “Lockdown has become three weeks of perpetual Sunday afternoons, with nowhere to go and nothing to do outside the home. So we’ve turned to each other for stimulation, motivation and inspiration.”
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They’ve not had a single argument in three weeks, says Wolf, which would’ve been “unheard of” in normal times. “I think it’s partly to do with expectations too,” she says. “I understand how tough this is for Bella not being able to see friends, and therefore I’ve allowed her to let her room get messy, to not get up at fixed times and to just reacclimatise to this new normal.”
Malvika Sheth, 21, who lives in Orange County, California, has been hosting a daily games session with her family which has brought them closer together.
“My mother, on returning from her trip to India a few months back, insisted I order the game Sequence as she used to play it with her nieces there,” says Sheth. “She kept reminding all of us to set some time aside to play, and it wasn’t until quarantine began that we actually did.”
The family sit down pretty much every day at half four to play the card game, while listening to Bollywood songs. “Sometimes, if we’re feeling adventurous and not too lazy, we’ll venture onto the ping pong table,” she says.
Malvika Sheth Malvika Sheth (left) with her parents (centre) and brother (right)
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Sheth, who is a digital content creator, says if it weren’t for the daily rendez-vous, she would probably be keeping herself to herself, working all day.
“Due to this new game time, I’ve been able so see the ‘fun’ sides of each of my family members which is amazing, and makes me feel so much more at ease in discussing daily things with them and sharing or cracking more jokes in front of them. Things don’t always have to be super silent or serious anymore,” she says.
“I’m enjoying being able to not get too caught up with being on-the-go and spending time with the people that matter most.”
Friendship groups are also becoming tighter. Where once it was near-impossible to get people together for a meet-up, tools like Zoom and FaceTime, combined with the sudden abundance of free time, means socialising is easier in some respects than it’s ever been.
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Andrew Rowley, who is 23 and from Leeds, says the lockdown has definitely brought him closer to his mates. “I’ve been friends with them since high school so, at one point, I spent pretty much all my time with them,” he says. “But over recent years we’ve all moved to different parts of the country, seen each other less and not been in touch as often as we should have.
“But when we were all put on lockdown, and the realisation of how big this was set in, we were quick to come together and check in on each other, making sure we were all safe and reiterating that we were all there for one another.”
Andrew Rowley From left to right: Jack, Robyn, Laura and Andrew.
Rowley and his pals have been making use of the Houseparty app, a firm favourite thanks to its quizzes and games, while also reminiscing about pre-lockdown life. He admits the pandemic has “probably made us realise that we don’t see each other enough”.
“I’d say the four of us meet up a few times a year but we’ve definitely spoken more, as a group of four, in the past few weeks than we have in the past six months,” he adds.
For Rowley, this sense of reconnecting with those he cares about has kept the feelings of loneliness at bay. “It’s not even with friends, but family too – it seems like every other day there’s a virtual pub quiz happening or a Houseparty session taking place,” he says. “It’s a massive comfort during uncertain times.”
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Another unexpected source of comfort during weeks of working from home, or even after being furloughed, has been colleagues. “Because of the lockdown, I’ve had time to connect with colleagues in a different way than before,” says Samantha Levene, 22, who works as a digital PR executive in Bolton.
“We’re in the lucky position of being able to work remotely and this has meant regular video calls, texting and tagging each other in memes for a bit of the same banter we’d have in the office.”
Levene says the people she works with are taking time out to catch up, speak about projects with fewer distractions, and just enjoying each other’s company.
Samantha Levene Samantha Levine (left) and her two colleagues from The Audit Lab, Manchester.
“It’s more important than ever to stay connected to one another, especially if you feel your mental health slipping, whether it’s a work meeting on Google Hangouts or a virtual pub quiz on a Wednesday night,” says Levene. “Otherwise the cabin fever would have driven me up the wall by now.
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“We’ve really been trying hard to keep each other positive and motivated during this strange and scary time. It can be easy to fall into an isolation bubble, scrolling through negative stories on social media and reading the news, feeling like you have little creativity in the bank, but I always feel so much better after having a supportive chat with my work friends.”
A lot of families are worrying for older members, some of whom face months of isolation due to the social distancing measures put in place to protect them.
Jenny Rae, 28, who’s usually based in Leeds but is spending lockdown in Teesside, has found herself calling her grandparents more often during the lockdown to check in on them.
“I’ve long felt like a terrible grandchild, rarely speaking to my nanna and grandad on my mum’s side,” says Rae. “While I see my granny on my dad’s side more regularly, since she lost my grandad – her husband of 70 years, I’ve had a constant feeling of guilt for not getting in touch as much as I should.”
Jenny Rae Jenny Rae (right) and her Granny (left)
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Lack of time was the main barrier, says Rae, but since lockdown began, they’ve spoken far more regularly on the phone. “An amazing moment came when my 95-year-old granny joined my brothers, dad and I on HouseParty,” she says. “Needless to say, she found the app a little confusing – but so did I.”
Being indoors all day, there are no excuses for her not to reach out – and the conversations she’s ended up having have been surprisingly wonderful.
“Last week I called my 90-year-old grandad in Liverpool, after months of not speaking, and after he asked my advice on Amazon and how to get his phone working, we spoke about the upcoming nice weather, the efforts of their neighbours, and stargazing. With the lack of pollution and traffic, he told me, you can see the planets shining.”
It felt like a great connection, she says. “Despite seeming a world away, we’re all in this together.”
Will she continue these routines after lockdown lifts? “Absolutely. I think there’s nothing more valuable than giving our elders our time and our attention. I know I can be way better but this has really given me a kick to – as my granny would say – ‘just bloody well get on with it.’”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--Care Home Deaths Are Set To Rise — Some Of The Reasons Are Unsettling

Coronavirus-related deaths in care homes are being significantly underreported. The time lag is only one part of the explanation. REUTERS
On 13th April, the Department of Health and Social Care confirmed there were over 2,000 (13.5%) care homes that had reported outbreaks of Coronavirus. And in the past 24 hours, two of the largest providers of residential care, HC-One and MHA, have reported 500 deaths among their residents alone. At the same time, there are growing reports from individual care homes which have seen deaths in the double figures among their residents following an outbreak.
This all suggests that coronavirus-related deaths in care homes are being significantly underreported. The time lag is part of the explanation. While deaths occurring in hospitals are reported daily, deaths in care homes and in the community have a two-week reporting lag. Therefore we would expect to see the numbers of confirmed deaths in care homes climb steeply in coming weeks.
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We also know that there is a huge lack of testing in care homes. Government policy has been that only five residents in any care home are tested in order to confirm the presence of an outbreak. This is under review, but it also means that in homes experiencing a confirmed outbreak, the majority of residents are not being tested. It is not clear whether deaths among “untested” residents are being accurately captured but there are concerns that the answer is no – not least because many care homes are reporting a real struggle in accessing the appropriate clinical support from GPs and community services.
Overall, the picture for care homes is fairly desperate and points to a serious unfolding crisis.
Part of the explanation is due to how the virus operates: we know it has an especially severe impact on older people, particularly those with other serious health problems and low resilience, and the disease is highly infectious. Care homes are vulnerable in both respects. Most of their residents have dementia or other forms of cognitive decline, plus long-term physical health problems like diabetes and heart disease. In addition, care homes are, by definition, places of shared living.
“Behind each care home death statistic is someone’s much loved mum, dad, brother, daughter, partner or best friend.”
These factors place care homes at high risk of this particular virus. Accordingly, care homes stopped almost all visitors a few weeks ago but they are unable to do the same with staff, who they need to keep working if they possibly can.
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Their best strategy is to try to keep the virus out and, if it enters, to limit the numbers affected. However, to achieve this, care homes need access to testing and to Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) – masks, gowns and the like – to minimise the risk of transmission. As already explained, most care homes do not have much access to testing and, in addition, they are struggling to get enough PPE too. Without these things they are essentially trying to battle a deadly foe with one hand tied behind their back.
Meanwhile, it continues to be a struggle to get a clear picture of how many deaths in care homes there actually are. Some of the reasons have already been discussed but, in addition, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that "out of sight is out of mind". Care homes are not part of the NHS, but they aren’t properly in the community either. They are almost entirely owned by private providers these days, even though they perform an essential public service. Public and policy attention on them is relatively rare.
The government has arguably been slow to grip the problems facing care homes during the pandemic: part of the reason is this relative ambiguity about their status. In addition though, care homes are occupied by older people and younger disabled people and there has been more than a whiff from some commentators already that these individuals are not really "worth" the cost and hassle the country faces in order to keep them safe.
I completely reject that argument, which is not only factually dubious given that people of all ages and abilities are being badly hurt and in some cases killed by the virus, but also morally repugnant. Behind each care home death statistic is someone’s much loved mum, dad, brother, daughter, partner or best friend. They could also be any one of us one day and we would be wise to remember that.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--Sesame Street Airing A Socially Distanced Special To Comfort Kids Amid Pandemic

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The Muppet characters of Sesame Street are reuniting virtually with a special episode aimed at comforting kids amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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Sesame Street friends like Grover, Cookie Monster and Abby Cadabby will join as well to celebrate health care workers, tout the joy of baking cookies at home, and find new ways to play and learn together.
According to a press release for the 30-minute special, Anne Hathaway will dance to Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes and Lin-Manuel will lead viewers in Old MacDonald Had A Farm, while Tracee Ellis Ross will play a game of Elmo Says.
Sesame Workshop
“We hope Sesame Street: Elmo’s Playdate will entertain and inspire families at a moment when so many are feeling isolated and overwhelmed by current events,” said Steve Youngwood, president of media and education and chief operating officer of Sesame Workshop.
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“With help from our distribution partners around the world, this special will encourage parents and kids to gather and relax as a family, in a way that only the Sesame Street Muppets can.”
The new programme is part of Sesame Workshop’s Caring For Each Other initiative ― a hub of resources created in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The resources include ideas for at-home play and learning, self-care tips for parents, mental health guidance and more.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-15--How To Send A Virtual Birthday Card To Captain Tom, Who's Raised Millions For The NHS

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We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
An eight-year-old girl is encouraging kids all over the world to make birthday cards for a 99-year-old army veteran who has raised millions for the NHS.
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Captain Tom Moore, from Keighley, Yorkshire, took on the challenge of walking 100 lengths of his back garden before he turns 100 at the end of April. In return, he asked for donations towards the NHS.
His initial goal was to raise £1,000 – but so far he’s raised more than £14m for the health service.
“We want to give back to this legend Tom who has raised over one million pound for our NHS,” wrote eight-year-old Reegan Davies on Twitter.
“We are kindly asking all kids across the UK to make him a virtual birthday card to say thanks.” She used the hashtag #makeacardfortom.
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We want to give back to this Legend TOM @captaintommoore who has raised over One Million pound for our @NHSMillion - we are kindly asking all kids across the UK to make him a Virtual Birthday card to say thanks - here are the instructions #makeacardfortom Please all share #NHS pic.twitter.com/f8Ck8LQZwq — Reegan Davies (@DaviesReegan) April 14, 2020
Reegan’s mum, Lisa, said the family came across Tom and his story last week when he shared a campaign that Reegan had been heavily involved in at school. “Tom and his family saw our video and messaged on Reegan’s Twitter account to say how much he loved it,” she told HuffPost UK.
“When Reegan saw what Tom was doing, how old he was and that his birthday was soon, she thought he was amazing and came up with the idea [of the birthday cards],” she said.
Reegan firstly asked all her local friends to make a card. When Lisa started tweeting them, she received lots of retweets and said, “it went viral from there”.
HuffPost UK Supplied
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Lisa said she has been in touch with Tom’s family. They’re going to make a video to include all Tom’s birthday cards, to share on the day of his birthday.
She and Reegan have also asked the nation to join in an event on his birthday on 30 April where the eight-year-old will conduct a live sing-a-long of happy birthday at 8.05pm after the clap for NHS.
Want to send a card to Tom?
Reegan explained the simple three steps children need to do to share a card to Tom. “He’s turning 100 and he’s raising over one million for the NHS, so we thought, why don’t we make a card for Tom?” she said.
1. Make a birthday card at home for Tom with pen and paper
2. Share on your choice of social media – Facebook, Twitter or Instagram
3. Use the hashtag #makeacardfortom so all the birthday cards can be collated together.
There are already lots of cards on the hashtag, made by kids all over the world.