thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-17--Friends' Lisa Kudrow Addresses Latter-Day Criticism, Claiming Show 'Should Be Looked At As A Time Ca

Friends' Lisa Kudrow Addresses Latter-Day Criticism, Claiming Show 'Should Be Looked At As A Time Capsule'

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Make the most of your time in lockdown with a daily dose of celebrity news and guides to the best shows. Sign up to the entertainment newsletter.
Former Friends star Lisa Kudrow has defended the hit show, suggesting that critics should consider it a “time capsule” rather than focussing on its more problematic aspects.
Advertisement
Lisa played Phoebe Buffay in all 10 series of Friends, which has now been off the air for 16 years, but gained a new following in recent times when it was made available to stream on Netflix.
Not everyone watching the show for the first time on the streaming service was impressed, though, with some pointing out parts of Friends that had not aged well, namely the lack of diversity and some jokes that could be perceived as offensive to the LGBTQ community.
Asked whether she thought Friends would be different if it were made in 2020, Lisa told the Sunday Times: “Oh, it’d be completely different. Well, it would not be an all-white cast, for sure. I’m not sure what else, but, to me, it should be looked at as a time capsule, not for what they did wrong.”
Lisa Kudrow at the Emmys last year JC Olivera via Getty Images
Advertisement
She added: “Also, this show thought it was very progressive. There was a guy whose wife discovered she was gay and pregnant, and they raised the child together? We had surrogacy too. It was, at the time, progressive.
“Yes, it’s a fun comedy. But it’s also about people connecting, and part of what appeals about it now is that young people have this unconscious nostalgia for personal connection. And not just right now during the pandemic, but before that.”
Lisa’s former co-star Matt LeBlanc has previously hit back at the show’s modern critics, insisting: “I’ve heard those rumours too about people taking pot shots at Friends, but I don’t want to get into that. I disagree with all that.”
The cast of Friends pictured in the 1990s NBC via Getty Images
Earlier this year, David Schwimmer also referenced the much-discussed diversity issues surrounding Friends in an interview with the Guardian, revealing he had “campaigned for years to have Ross date women of colour”.
Advertisement
As part of the interview, David also said: “Maybe there should be an all-Black Friends or an all-Asian Friends.”
However, many people on Twitter were quick to remind him of the 90s sitcom Living Single, which followed the lives of six Black friends who lived together in Brooklyn, New York.
David later insisted that he had been aware of Living Single, and that his words had been “taken out of context”.
He tweeted: “I didn’t mean to imply Living Single hadn’t existed or indeed hadn’t come before Friends, which I knew it had.
“Please remember in an interview quotes are often pieced together and taken out of context, and then these quotes are re-purposed in other articles by other people who are trying to be provocative.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-17--Obama Rips The Trump Administration's Failed Pandemic Response

HuffPost is part of Verizon Media .
Click ' I agree ' to allow Verizon Media and our partners to @ @ @ @ @ to access your device and use your data ( including location ) to understand your @ @ @ @ @ measure personalised ads .
We will also provide you with personalised ads on partner products @ @ @ @ @ we use your data in our Privacy Centre .
Once you confirm your privacy choices @ @ @ @ @ changes at any time by visiting your Privacy dashboard .
Click 'Learn more ' to @ @ @ @ @ Media and our partners collect and use data .

“More than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they’re doing. A lot of them aren’t even pretending to be in charge.”
The Trump administration has continually fallen short in its response to the pandemic, which has killed almost 90,000 Americans.
Following Obama’s speech, Trump tweeted a single response to the former president: “OBAMAGATE!” — a reference to Trump’s vague accusation of crimes by the former president, which Trump has declined to explain.
Read Obama’s full commencement speech here.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-17--Gove To Teachers: ‘If You Really Care About Children, You’ll Want Them To Be In School’

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Michael Gove has suggested teachers reluctant to return to school as the coronavirus lockdown is eased will go back to work if they “really care” about children.
Advertisement
The Cabinet Office minister said it was impossible to completely eliminate the risk of catching coronavirus unless people are “perpetually imprisoned in their own homes”, but stressed that schools would be “absolutely safe” to reopen.
The government and teaching unions are at loggerheads over the plan for a phased reopening of primary schools from June 1, with reception, year one and year six pupils scheduled to return.
An alliance of education unions backed by the British Medical Association (BMA), as well as some local authorities and city mayors has urged the government to “step back” from its timetable, and demanded to see the scientific and medical modelling used to justify the move.
But Gove, who frequently battled teaching unions during his stint as education secretary, told BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show: “Teachers will be safe in schools.
Advertisement
“The programme that’s been outlined is a staged and careful return.”
He went on: “Running through the figures - the R number, the rate of infection in the community overall, we’re confident that children and teachers will be safe.”
#Marr: How do you make classrooms safe?
Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove says children will have to be distanced, arriving in a staggered fashion, with staggered breaks, and we will "cap classes at 15"https://t.co/lFtwIJGUT1 pic.twitter.com/UvaWSol6xi — BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) May 17, 2020
The Cabinet Office minister stressed that schools would see class sizes capped at 15, socially distanced desks, staggered breaks and arrivals, and one adult per class.
Gove urged unions and councils: “I respectfully ask them to think again, to broaden the range of scientific advice that they look at.
“I know the BMA has the best interest of members at heart.
“But actually the clear scientific and clinical advice is that it is safe to have schools reopen, accompanied with social distancing.
Advertisement
“And the other thing that I would say in particular is children only have one chance of education.
“Over the course of the last decade we made significant strides in closing the gap between the richest and the poorest in our schools.
“This lockdown has put that at risk.
“If you really care about children, you will want them to be in school, you’ll want them to be learning, you’ll want them to have new opportunities.
“So, look to your responsibilities.”
Gove went on: “The whole point of life is that you need to manage risk in a way that keeps people as safe as possible.”
“We cannot have a situation where we keep our economy and our schools and our public services continually closed down, because the health consequences of doing so would be malign as well.
“None of us can guarantee that anyone will be entirely free [from the risk of infection] unless effectively perpetually imprisoned in their own home.”
Advertisement
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said she supported councils in trying to ensure their residents are safe.
"If we've got the test, tracking and tracing in place for schools then that would reassure parents"
Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner says the government should reassure parents and teachers, & publish the science behind plan to reopen schools #Marr https://t.co/lFtwIJGUT1 pic.twitter.com/Z8eduxfu3C — BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) May 17, 2020
She told Marr: “If you look at what Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester Mayor, said in the Guardian last night, the communication from the government - in terms of the safety measures for areas like Greater Manchester, Liverpool, like the north east - has been patchy so the information hasn’t been there.
“We believe the R rate is higher in those areas, in those regions, so therefore we want the government to publish the science behind it and provide the support.”
Anne Longfield, the children’s commissioner for England, has urged ministers and unions to “stop squabbling” and agree a plan to reopen schools.
Advertisement
She said many children were struggling away from the classroom, and the lack of education would have an impact on their future life chances.
Dr Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist at the World Health Organisation (WHO), said she believes “society has to restart” but that there will be a new normal.
She told Marr: “It’s really maintaining that balance and you have to look at a number of interventions to be put in place as people start going back to work, going back to school, families want to meet again, we want to go shopping, we want to have social events, but at the same time, we know now, what is needed to keep this virus from spreading.”
These measures include social distancing, personal hygiene and “respiratory etiquette” - such as wearing a mask in crowded places, she said.
“That has to become the new normal,” Swaminathan said, adding “but I do believe that society has to restart”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-17--Phillip Schofield Shuts Down Romance Speculation After Instagram Post Gets Fans Talking

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Phillip Schofield has shut down speculation about his romantic life, after a photo he posted with a friend sparked conversation among his fans.
Over the weekend, the This Morning presenter shared a photo of himself out for a walk with a family friend, the similarly-named Simon Schofield.
Advertisement
“First socially distanced walk with a mate!” he wrote. “Thank you @sischofe .. last person I had a drink with before the wheels fell off, first I’ve seen as we try to reattach them!”
Soon after sharing the photo, Schofe’s comments section was full of people suggesting there might be a romantic aspect to the pair’s friendship, which the daytime star was quick to address.
Responding to one of his followers, who had commented “Mate is that what they call it nowadays”, Phil hit back: “Yes! A mate! That’s what they still call family friends who you’ve known for 20 years and come round to check if you’re OK.”
Advertisement
Clearly frustrated, he ended his message with the middle finger emoji.
Holly gave Phillip a big hug after their interview ITV
During the interview, Phil insisted that a relationship was not on the cards for the time being, saying: “I’m not thinking there. I’m doing each day at a time, and this has always been a slow process, and there’s no fast process after this.
“This was the big day and I knew what everything was pointing towards, and I couldn’t do it [without you].”
Holly then told him: “Whatever happens in the future, I’ll be sat by your side forever... we’re all part of this family.”
Advertisement
The two stars are continuing to present from the This Morning studio during lockdown, but adhere to social distancing guidelines by making sure there are two metres between them at all times.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-17--Fans Crown Best Eurovision Song Ever, With Abba, Conchita Wurst And Loreen Among Favourites

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Make the most of your time in lockdown with a daily dose of celebrity news and guides to the best shows. Sign up to the entertainment newsletter.
The UK has crowned its favourite ever Eurovision entrant, in a one-off special shown on what should have been the night of this year’s live final.
Advertisement
On Saturday evening, Eurovision: Come Together aired on BBC One, taking fans on a trip down memory lane by replaying 19 classic performances from past years of the song contest.
The shortlist was chosen by a shortlist of experts including presenters Rylan Clark-Neal and Mel Giedroyc, former entrants Nicki French and SuRie and other Eurovision superfans.
At the end of the show, viewers were then invited to vote for their favourites on the BBC Eurovision website, with ABBA’s Waterloo coming out on top.
ABBA performing in Brighton in 1974 OLLE LINDEBORG via Getty Images
Advertisement
The groundbreaking pop group rose to fame after winning Eurovision in 1974, and went on to sell 380 million records the world over.
In second place was Conchita Wurst’s winning entry Rise Like A Phoenix, followed by Loreen’s Euphoria, the most-downloaded Eurovision song ever in the UK.
Conchita Wurst is one of Eurovision's most recognisable winners ever JONATHAN NACKSTRAND via Getty Images
Other winning UK entrants to make the top 10 included Katrina And The Waves’ Love Shine A Light and Making Your Mind Up by Bucks Fizz, which came in fourth and eighth place, respectively.
Måns Zelmerlöw’s Heroes, Alexander Rybak’s Fairytale and Ukranian drag queen Verka Serduchka’s Dancing Lasha Tumbai completed the list, ahead of Brotherhood Of Man’s Save Your Kisses For Me and Ooh…Aah…Just A Little Bit by Gina G.
Advertisement
Also shown during the broadcast but not making the top 10 included last year’s runner up, Mahmood, 2018 champion and second place Netta and Eleni Foureira and game-changing Israeli winner Dana International.
Dana International won Eurovision for Israel in 1998, but didn't make the list of the UK's top 10 favourite performances Peter Bischoff via Getty Images
Eurovision: Come Together was followed by another broadcast, organised by the European Broadcasting Union titled Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light.
The special received a more lukewarm response from fans watching along on Twitter, with some feeling it had more somber feel than many were expecting, with less focus on the 2020 entrants than anticipated.
It did have a few touching moments, though, including a performance of Love Shine A Light From Home from all of the competitors, and a special message from ABBA star Björn Ulvaeus.
Advertisement
“Everybody knows why there couldn’t be the usual Eurovision final this year,” Björn said. “But we hope this show will comfort you in some small way, knowing that it will be back next year.”
He added: “Very good title by the way – Shine A Light. I’m glad they didn’t choose Waterloo. Long live the Eurovision Song Contest.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-17--Coronavirus: More Than 17,000 Contact Tracers Hired By Government, And Four Other Stories You Need T

Coronavirus: More Than 17,000 Contact Tracers Hired By Government, And Four Other Stories You Need To Know

By May 16, the PA news agency had verified the deaths of 173 frontline health and care workers with Covid-19.
Of those, 23 – approximately 13% – were of Filipino heritage.
Among those to have lost their lives were two who died this week — Norman Austria, a healthcare assistant at the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton, and Jun Terre, a nurse at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire.
In a message to PA following the deaths, ambassador Antonio Lagdameo said: “I urge the NHS to ensure that those heroes who put their lives on the line for all of us are properly protected and equipped as they do their job.”
Francis Fernando, a nurse and officer for the Filipino Nurses Association UK, said he believes more of his compatriots have died working in the UK health and care system during the crisis than in the Phillippines.
While a lack of reliable data makes it difficult to prove definitively, Fernando believes the community has suffered more deaths in Britain’s health and care sector than any other ethnic group.
Official figures indicate that around 18,500 Filipinos worked in the NHS in England as of March 2019, roughly 1.5% of an estimated 1.2 million total workforce.
The vast majority of those workers were in nursing or clinical support positions, with the Philippines providing more staff in these roles than any other country outside the UK.
Blood-thinning drugs could ‘save lives’ of some Covid-19 patients


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-17--More Than 17,000 Contact Tracers Recruited By Government, Michael Gove Reveals

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
The government has recruited more than 17,000 contact tracers and will introduce a test, track and isolate scheme by the end of May, Michael Gove has said.
Advertisement
The Cabinet Office minister praised the “energetic and determined” health secretary Matt Hancock for coming close to hitting his target to recruit 18,000 tracers by mid-May.
It marks a remarkable turnaround after it emerged that the government had only recruited 1,500 tracers earlier this week.
The tracers are set to play a key role in a mass programme of testing, tracking and isolating people with Covid-19 to combat its spread and give the government space to further lift the lockdown.
Gove told Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Sky News: “In the past, people have seen Matt and the government set ambitious targets, and they said ‘ooh the target on testing, that won’t be met’ - Matt met that target.
Advertisement
“It is now the case that more than 17,000 people have been recruited for contact tracing.
“So we’re on course to meet that target.”
Asked when a test, track and tracing scheme will be up and running, Gove replied: “By the end of this month.”
Earlier, shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves said introducing a test, trace and isolate programme would help ease teachers’ anxiety about returning to school.
It came amid fears that plans to start the phased reopening of primary schools from next month, as part of the easing of the coronavirus lockdown in the country, may be scuppered if teaching unions refuse to cooperate.
Talks on Friday between union representatives and government scientific advisers, intended to provide assurance about the government’s proposals to enable children to return safely, ended with union leaders saying it had raised more questions than answers.
Reeves told Ridge: “This isn’t just about schools, this is about wider issues around easing some of the lockdown restrictions.
Advertisement
“But the anxiety teachers and parents face would be a lot less if we had that test, trace and isolate strategy in place.
“We want that to be up and running to ease the whole range of the lockdown restrictions.
Reeves said the government has two weeks to put in place the test and trace approach, hold talks with the relevant parties and publish the science before schools are due to welcome more pupils through their gates.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-17--Fred Willard, Prolific Comic Actor, Dies Aged 86

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Fred Willard, the comedic actor who appeared in This Is Spinal Tap, Best In Show and Everybody Loves Raymond, has died at the age of 86.
His representatives confirmed To Rolling Stone and The Hollywood Reporter that the star had died of natural causes on Friday night.
Advertisement
“My father passed away very peacefully last night at the fantastic age of 86 years old. He kept moving, working and making us happy until the very end,” Fred’s daughter Hope Mulbarger said in a statement to People magazine.
“We loved him so very much!”
Fred Willard at the Daytime Emmys in 2015 Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Actor Jamie Lee Curtis payed homage to her friend by sharing a clip from the comedy Best In Show.
“Thanks for the deep belly laughs Mr. Willard,” she tweeted.
How lucky that we all got to enjoy Fred Willard’s gifts. He is with his missed Mary now. Thanks for the deep belly laughs Mr. Willard. Best in Show (7/11) Movie CLIP - Judging the Hounds (2000) HD https://t.co/wPrbk9VjWI via @YouTube — Jamie Lee Curtis (@jamieleecurtis) May 16, 2020
Fred’s wife, playwright Mary Willard, died in 2018 at the age of 71.
Over his long career, Fred earned four Emmy nominations, including one nod for his guest-starring work on the hit series Modern Family. His character, Frank Dunphy, appeared in 14 episodes of the show, and died earlier this year.
Advertisement
Born in Shaker Heights, Ohio, Fred appeared in a number of films in the 1960s and 70s including, Teenage Mother, Jenny, Silver Streak and Fun With Dick and Jane, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
He later memorably appeared in movies Anchorman and Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle.
Steve Carell, who played Brick Tamland in Anchorman, paid his respects to his former co-star on Saturday night, tweeting that the comedian was “the funniest person that I’ve ever worked with”.
“He was a sweet, wonderful man,” he added.
Fred Willard was the funniest person that I've ever worked with. He was a sweet, wonderful man. — Steve Carell (@SteveCarell) May 16, 2020
Fred was celebrated for his improv-style acting and made frequent visits to late night shows, including Jay Leno’s Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Last year, Jimmy told the Los Angeles Times about Fred Willard that “people here are always happy to see him”.
Advertisement
“We genuinely love Fred, not just because he’s funny, but because he’s such a sweet man,” he noted.
On Saturday night, Jimmy tweeted: “There was no man sweeter or funnier. We were so lucky to know Fred Willard and will miss his many visits.”
There was no man sweeter or funnier. We were so lucky to know Fred Willard and will miss his many visits https://t.co/joHM39o8k4 — Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) May 16, 2020
Other celebrities took to Twitter to pay homage to Willard:
RIP to the legendary #FredWillard. The first time I worked with him ironically it was a table reading for a Drama/comedy play. I was still in The Groundlings in those days. He looked right in my eyes when we had dialogue. Basic but vital acting tip. Oh and funny as f**k💔 — Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) May 16, 2020
It was a privilege to have the great Fred Willard know my name. Rest In Peace Fred. You were funny in your bones. pic.twitter.com/PlFTCHFZCK — Eric Stonestreet (@ericstonestreet) May 16, 2020
We were fortunate to have worked with the hilarious Fred Willard on several episodes of Sister, Sister. His comedy chops were unbeatable.
We'll miss you, friend. 💔 pic.twitter.com/jHxoi4DqVg — Jackée Harry (@JackeeHarry) May 16, 2020
Advertisement
Fred Willard was a brilliant comic actor and improvisor. He could make anything funny. His work goes down as some of the funniest ever,
From Jerry Hubbard on...he inspired and influenced so many people in comedy.
Sending love to his family. — Ben Stiller (@RedHourBen) May 16, 2020
Fred Willard - RIP to a wonderfully original actor comedian -
Any time he appeared in anything I’d stop and watch smiling and laughing - https://t.co/lJ82S7GZnU — John Cusack (@johncusack) May 16, 2020
Devastated to learn that the great Fred Willard has died. I was honored to have called him a friend. One of the funniest, nicest, sweetest, purest souls I have ever had the privilege to know. He was my hero from Fernwood Tonight when I was a kid. He was never not funny. RIP Fred. — Paul Feig (@paulfeig) May 16, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-17--Ricky Gervais Calls For Celebrities To Be Snubbed From New Year's Honours List In 2020

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Make the most of your time in lockdown with a daily dose of celebrity news and guides to the best shows. Sign up to the entertainment newsletter.
Ricky Gervais has called for celebrities to be snubbed in the New Year Honour’s List this year, in place of those who helped out in the current crisis.
Advertisement
In 2020, Ricky has been even more critical of the rich and famous than usual, in particular the way that they have reacted during the coronavirus pandemic.
And in a new interview with Australian radio presenter Christian O’Connell, the After Life creator has doubled down on his opinion, claiming that celebrities should not be considered for honours by the royals this year.
Ricky Gervais pictured after this year's Golden Globes, which he hosted Rich Fury via Getty Images
Praising frontline workers, he explained: “I never want anyone to complain about the NHS again, or nurses or doctors or anyone on the front line.
Advertisement
“We’ve got to remember we clapped for them and that should always be there.”
He then turned his attention to celebrities, stating: “The New Year’s Honours list should not go to celebrities this year. It should go to those people.
“Give it to someone who gave a kidney to a stranger, not someone who invented a new type of mascara. I’ve seen people given a knighthood for services to fashion. What are you talking about, services to fashion?
“Christ, it’s not that hard. People are finding cures for cancer and AIDS.”
In April, Ricky called out celebrities who have been complaining about the stresses of lockdown from their luxurious homes.
He said: “I see someone complaining about being in a mansion with a swimming pool. And, you know, honestly, I just don’t want to hear it.”
The former Office star had specific ire for the group of celebrities who came together to record a cover of Imagine, organised by Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-17--There Are Workers On Furlough Whose Jobs 'No Longer Exist', CBI Warns

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
There are workers currently on furlough and having their wages paid by the government whose jobs “no longer exist”, the CBI has warned.
Advertisement
Deputy director-general Josh Hardie said the “harsh reality” was that some people’s roles will have already become effectively redundant despite them still being in post and paid under the coronavirus job retention scheme.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak this week announced an extension to the end of October of the furlough scheme, which sees the government pay 80% of workers’ wages to keep them in post while their businesses cannot operate under lockdown restrictions.
But from August businesses will have to begin contributing a portion of workers’ wages, with reports suggesting the state subsidy may be cut to 60%.
Hardie suggested that allowing employers to contribute and take some staff back on part-time could see others being made laid off.
Advertisement
In an interview with HuffPost UK, he said: “At the moment furlough is a hibernation tool but it also needs to develop into a reanimation tool.
“There is a harsh reality that some people on furlough at the moment will be in jobs that actually no longer exist.
“It is better to release them into the labour market for training than it is to keep them on furlough.
“Employee contribution actually helps drive that process.”
Hardie, however, stressed that businesses that cannot get up and running due to the expected extended lockdown in their sectors, such as hospitality and entertainment, need ongoing support as furlough is gradually lifted for others.
“We need to be able to support those businesses that will be there later in the year but for very good reasons can’t start up right now,” he said, “whether that’s through furlough or whether that’s through other mechanisms.”
Advertisement
“There will be job losses. We have to be straight about that”
Hardie said there would not be a “cliff edge” as different firms would begin scaling up post-lockdown operations at different times.
The CBI wants firms to comply with measures to stop the spread of Covid-19, partly to avoid a more damaging second peak.
But Hardie said there still needs to be a “difficult conversation” about how to manage risk while getting businesses “back on their feet”, and warned that job losses are inevitable as the UK tips into recession.
“We’ve all seen the statistics, the projections for unemployment heading up to 10%.
“I think it’s been clear all along that, whatever government does, whatever businesses do, this is a major economic challenge and there will be job losses.
Advertisement
“We have to be straight about that, we have to be realistic about that.
“It’s that consideration which is so important as we look to the future because absolute health is a priority but we cannot ignore the impact on the economy and the impact that has on long-term health as well.”
He added: “We have to be able to talk about risk mitigation and management at the same time as getting businesses back up on their feet.
“It’s a difficult conversation, it’s a careful conversation, but it is at least where this week has started to take us.”
Do we need quarantine for travellers?
Hardie suggested the government should at least pause its plans to introduce 14-day quarantine for all travellers coming to the UK, warning it could badly damage businesses.
He gave the example of an engineering firm in Germany making medical equipment which only German engineers could fit or maintain in the UK, saying this would not be possible under the proposals.
Advertisement
Even if there were an exemption for business travellers, there is a risk that demand would be so suppressed that there would not be flights to bring them to the UK, he said.
Stressing that there needs to be a “critical mass” of travellers to ensure regular flights, Hardie said: “If [quarantine] is necessary for health then it is necessary for health.
“If the measure is the right measure then we have to find ways around it.
“But I think there is confusion.
“Firstly I think there could be more clarity on the health rationale and whether there are other ways of mitigating the impact.
“Other countries for example are using temperature checks or testing and tracing.
“The impact is not just on the travel industry or aviation, although that is critical and severe.
“That plays out in every sector in the economy, the criticality of moving people around.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-17--'Ticket Holders Could Save The Entire Industry': How The Live Events World Is Responding To Coronavi

'Ticket Holders Could Save The Entire Industry': How The Live Events World Is Responding To Coronavirus

In terms of traditional live events, it seems pretty clear that 2020 is cancelled.
Sadly, festival lovers have been adjusting their summer plans: a BBQ with a few mates sat two metres apart might be as wild as it gets.
The last few weeks have been a festival bloodbath, with every major UK event cancelled – including the 50th anniversary of Glastonbury – as the true extent of the severity and longevity of Covid-19 sets in for fans and event organisers across the country.
Advertisement
“We absolutely expect there to be no large scale events in 2020"”
“We absolutely expect there to be no large scale events in 2020, at all,” confirms Russ Tannen, Chief Revenue Officer at DICE, the ticketing and live events app.
That isn’t to say there aren’t ways to enjoy proper live music though, as the industry morphs into a new shape to cater for demand from bored lockdowners.
One encouraging trend appearing on platforms like DICE is the rise of professional live concerts taking place online. They’re a natural progression from the free, often informal lockdown music streams that have kept us entertained at home these past few months.
Advertisement
While audiences have leaned into the influx of free streams, with everyone from Chris Martin to Lady Gaga streaming concerts from their homes, one issue is that for music fans, they vary in quality, and tend to feel more informal and less high-tech than a ‘proper’ concert.
So in order to provide something more professional, an increasing number of famous musicians are attempting to organise online shows which end up looking and feeling more like a traditional concert or music festival performance.
Artists are inspired to programme bigger shows in proper venues (with crew self-isolating to film and organise the tech essentials), because they provide the opportunity for higher production value, meaning better shows, and a more appropriate live environment for musicians to introduce fans to new material.
It might just be the future of live music.
The British artist Laura Marling will soon perform alone from London venue Union Chapel, streaming the whole concert online.
Advertisement
“It looks like live streaming will become normal and adopted in the long term after lockdown,” Russ tells HuffPost UK.
“We don’t think this is a short term thing. We don’t think this is a gimmicky thing.
“You can imagine an artist doing their O2 Arena show, especially at that huge level where they already have camera people there it’s not like you’re adding a huge amount more infrastructure around it, they’re already in effect filming those shows.”
“We don’t think live streaming gigs is a short term thing. We don’t think this is a gimmicky thing.”
As well as providing opportunities for fans to get back into the live music they love, the shows, and even some full-scale festivals which are being streamed online, are obviously revenue drivers for artists, with ticket prices for streams increasingly becoming the norm.
Lewis Capaldi is hosting a ticketed stream via DICE later this month, with tickets costing £5 per head.
Advertisement
″Join him live from his parent’s house in Bathgate, Scotland as he celebrates his album anniversary and an absolutely huge year,” reads the event description. “It will be the first time he plays the album in full and over a live stream, and we can’t wait.”
As well as getting bums on (digital) seats, Capaldi is offering something new for his fans with the first play of his album in full. It is perhaps a sign of how more internationally-renowned musicians will take digital performances seriously as platforms for creativity and experimentation.
Lewis Capaldi is one of the first major musicians to be selling tickets to an online concert Burak Cingi via Getty Images
So far, so progressive – but what about the practical reality for people that already have tickets for festivals and live events that can no longer take place this summer? Events that are simply cancelled, rather than replaced by any sort of live stream?
The main request being made by event organisers is that attendees keep hold of their 2020 festival and live concert tickets and wait for the events to be rolled over to 2021.
Advertisement
That way, the festival is (hopefully) in a better financial state as they head through a tumultuous period and ticket holders have something to look forward to – but there are instances where this approach won’t be feasible for fans.
“I’m getting a refund on my festival ticket because the line up and dates next year might not work with me,” Victoria, 20, a student from Havering tells HuffPost UK.
Victoria, who had tickets to Wireless festival, adds: “I’ll save the money, probably put it towards travelling once this situation is all over.”
“Quite simply, if you can please roll your ticket over to next year. It could save your favourite festival.”
Getty/Shutterstock/HuffPost
Advertisement
Victoria won’t be alone. Due to the wider economic crisis unfolding with Covid-19, it’s inevitable that hanging onto festival tickets for an event which may take place in a year’s time won’t be everyone’s priority, asserts Paul Reed, CEO of the Association of Independent Festivals.
“Of course, festival goers should only do this if they’re able to financially,” he says, but adds “quite simply, if you can please roll your ticket over to next year. It could save your favourite festival.”
For most independent festivals, the bigger picture is way more stark than most punters could imagine, says Reed.
“At the beginning of March, when this crisis unfolded, our members had already accumulated ‘sunk costs’ ranging from £20,000 to £1.7million, with an average of £375,000,” he reveals.
“The insurance situation has exacerbated this and these costs are non-recoupable, as the overwhelming majority of festivals are not covered by communicable disease insurance, which is a standard exclusion,” and most independent festivals and musicians are – for one reason or another – not eligible for most of the government’s financial support.
Advertisement
“Our member surveys reveal that festival organisers are facing potential refund requests totalling £800m this year, and 92% of those surveyed feel their businesses are at risk, so it is a very difficult and uncertain time,” he adds.
Y Not festival is one of many independent festivals facing extreme financial difficulties this year Carolina Faruolo
“As a team, we are devastated to cancel this year,” says Jason Oakley, Managing Director at Y Not festival. “The biggest cost was certainly financial as we have lost a considerable amount, that may sound a little cold but that’s because of the bigger picture.”
Oakley says they had hoped for 2020 to be “a very special year” after a “very challenging” 2019, but through the hardship he says it’s important to remember that there are others who are worse off.
“The bigger picture is that it is a music festival and people are dying out there in large numbers, our emotions are now for them and their families,” he says.
Advertisement
“To see our incredible live music and festival industry in such a precarious position as well as the huge impact it’s having on so many of our friends and colleagues, especially those who are self employed, is incredibly difficult,” says a spokesperson for Boomtown festival in Winchester, which typically takes place in August.
“It really is a case of ticket holders being in a position to be able to save an entire industry, if they themselves are financially able to do so,” they say.
Most independent festivals like Boomtown are facing serious financial troubles - but live music culture is evolving to serve fans digitally this summer. Boomtown
Boomtown say they are “wrapping up the loose ends from the 2020 event and then embarking on a journey of discovery” as they try to piece together what the future looks like.
For others, like Noisily festival near Leicester, there is more of a sense of urgency. The festival have found themselves in an “impossible” financial situation and need to raise £150,000 to continue in 2021.
Advertisement
Owner Lachie Gordon told HuffPost UK how it felt to reach out and ask for donations as they hit their halfway target of £75,000.
“As we announced it, I broke down in tears, overwhelmed by the culmination of weeks of impossible decisions and discussions,” he says. “And, lo and behold, I was blown away by support and good vibes which came out of our community, and was reminded, once again, that Noisily is a family, and families support each other when times get tough.”
For the time being, we may need to rely on festival communities, like Noisily’s, both online and off, to keep the fire in audiences’ bellies as they wait for 2021 and inspire event organisers to somehow find a way through what will inevitably feel an incredibly long year.
Perhaps the best short-term answer, at least for audiences, will be more digital festivals and the advancement of online streams from top artists.
Aside from the Lewis Capaldi and Laura Marling dates, other digital events in the pipeline include the Liverpool Digital Music Festival and the Movement At Home festival in May.
Advertisement
And perhaps the most high profile British IRL event to flip to an online stream is Radio 1′s Big Weekend, taking place over the weekend of 22-24 May.
Originally the event was scheduled to take place in Dundee, Scotland, but after cancelling it back in March, the BBC later announced a digital version, with Sam Smith, Jonas Brothers and Rita Ora set to perform from their homes.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-17--How Will Social Distancing Affect Our Kids Long-Term?

LOADING ERROR LOADING
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
At a nursery in Tourcoing, on the French-Belgian border, children were pictured in drawn-out, spaced apart boxes in a playground. In another photo, they were sat on fluorescent green crosses, ensuring they were socially distanced.
Advertisement
Their friends waved at them from two metres away. They could no longer hug, play ‘tag’ or pull each other to different corners of the playground to trade secrets. Not in a pandemic.
The images, shared on social media, were a stark reminder that if current plans to reopen British schools for Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 children from June 1 go ahead as planned, it could be the same for children in the UK, too.
But how is social distancing affecting children, if at all, and what could the future impact of these prolonged measures mean?
Advertisement
When I showed the images to my eight-year-old daughter, she gasped. “I’m not doing that!” she said. “If my friends are in a different box to me, how can we go and talk in private? Everyone would hear what you were saying, because you’d have to shout.”
“It’s not fair,” she added. “I thought when you go back to school, everything would be normal. But that isn’t normal.”
Others who saw the images online described them as “distressing”. “This is beyond sad,” one person wrote. “Children denied the right to play with peers. Masked carers making it impossible to read their emotions. Maybe safest for physical health, but at what cost to their social development and mental health?”
The person added: “It’s a cruel setup and better for the kindergarten to remain closed and admit it’s not possible to safely care for children in a way that meets their emotional needs, than treat them this way.”
Considering the ways social distancing might affect our children’s needs is of great importance, says author and parenting expert Liat Hughes Joshi. “School and nursery are not just about education,” she tells HuffPost UK. “Children need the routine of school and to see their friends and their teachers – it’s about so much more than just lessons.”
Advertisement
Hughes believes social distancing in school settings like the playground risks taking away fun, making school a “joyless experience”. But is this a reason not to send them back? “Probably not,” she says.
Artur Debat via Getty Images
Developmental cognitive psychologist and early years specialist, Dr David Whitbread, also believes the benefits of school settings, which offer children opportunities to interact with adults trained to enhance their cognitive and emotional development – while also giving them the chance to mix socially with their peers – risk being undermined by strict social distancing measures.
“If social distancing of this kind has to be applied in these settings, then these offerings become impossible,” he tells HuffPost UK.
“It’s far worse than that,” he adds, “as children can see their young friends and their teachers, but cannot approach them. In which case, the children are far better being at home having fun with their parents and siblings.”
Advertisement
Dr Whitbread also warns of the future impact of social distancing on children. “The longer it lasts, especially for children in emotionally challenging households, the consequences – particularly for their mental health – will become more serious,” he says.
“Given the length of time we’ve been in lockdown already, it would be far better to hold on for a few more weeks [before they go back to school], so children return once self-distancing is no longer required.” However, given the slow easing of lockdown measures Boris Johnson announced, returning to school without social distancing measures may not be possible.
Other researchers suggest social distancing is less likely to impact younger children, but more those in their teens, arguing that early social development can take place within the family – but as kids get older, their friendship group becomes much more important.
But, as Hughes adds, the way children cope with the “new normal” may not be a matter of age, but personality.
““Some kids will cope better with it. Some will breeze through this and be very relaxed.” - Parenting expert, Liat Hughes Joshi
Advertisement
“Some kids will cope better with it,” she says. “Some will breeze through this and be very relaxed, while others will kick back against it. Some might see the social side of school as the main draw, and if you take that away and it becomes all about lessons, sitting two metres apart, playing on your own, it might make them more unhappy to go back. Every child is different.”
These are unprecedented times – and it’s impossible to know exactly how, or if, it will impact our children. What parents can do during this time is create an environment at home where their children have the opportunity to develop.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-17--I Feel Like I’m Failing At Motherhood In Quarantine

Florin Cristian Ailenei via Getty Images
The day after the World Health Organization declares Covid-19 a pandemic, my husband and I quit using pacifiers with our two-year-old. The timing is purely coincidental. We’ve spent the last few days talking up the “pacifier fairy” and she is slated to come that night, taking our daughter’s binkies away to give to babies who aren’t big girls yet.
The first day without it, she refuses to nap. She cries for an hour, begging for the comfort of her pacifier, before we quit trying to get her down.
Advertisement
She cries every nap and night, hollow pleas for her “pacis.” It takes hours to get her down each night like it did when she was a baby, when we would go into her room over and over to lay her back in her crib. Similarly, when she sleeps, it’s in fits and spurts, and she wakes up at odd hours of the night, screaming.
Two days later, her day care closes. On top of the fractured sleep, we are now home together, the three of us, all day, every day. As the days tick forward, a strange sense of deja vu comes over me, the nagging suspicion I’ve done this before. My body feels a twinge, like a reinjured muscle, a strain that never fully healed and is now painful again. Then, I realise what we’re living through all over again: the newborn stage.
I was not built for the newborn stage. Far removed, in the safety of toddlerhood, I look upon those first three months – known as the fourth trimester – affectionately and with a kind of fearful reverence, like the final girl in a horror movie realising she’s somehow survived.
My maternity leave felt like a yellow wallpaper trap, cooped inside at all hours, being told to relax – and enjoy it! – when all I could feel was the unbearably heavy weight of responsibility, the knowledge that I was somehow singularly responsible for keeping another soul alive and healthy and happy.
Advertisement
At three months, I welcomed day care into my life with open arms. But now suddenly, I am back in that trap, marooned in my home with my child, feeling responsible once again for each decision, each choice.
The first week is okay. We bust out the finger paints. We put on our bathing suits, fill the tub too high and have an improvised pool party. We read books and go on walks. We bake bread. I start to feel good about myself as a mother in a way I never have before.
Maybe, I cautiously hope, my fears are unfounded, my constant guilty worry that I lacked what was so natural for others: the need, the desire, the want to be with their child at all times. Maybe I can give her what she should have had from the start — a mother who is not too overwhelmed, too sad, too scared, but who instead is there, always, smiling like a 1950s advertisement.
But week two dawns, and the cracks in our facade are showing. The novelty of being home together has worn off. Her toys are declared boring. The activities I plan take too long to set up and too long to clean up to justify the scant few minutes she’s occupied. She is increasingly cranky from the lack of structure, becoming more annoyed at my husband and me, who are continuously descending upon our laptops to check emails or hop on Zoom meetings.
Her unhappiness burrows under my skin, filling me with memories, almost flashbacks. I cannot fix it now as I couldn’t fix it then. A familiar frustration roils my stomach. I feel the same sharp unkindness toward her demands, one that I know is unfair but still sets my teeth on edge. She is so needy, yet also needs nothing, and I feel the tightness in my chest like in her early days, the unbearable irritation that I cannot seem to give her what she wants, her wailing uncontrollably in my arms despite a full belly and a clean diaper.
Advertisement
Now, like before, I run down the checklist of what is supposed to make her happy. I give her toys and games, puzzles and playtime. Crumbs of Play-Doh embed in the carpet. Every sweatshirt I own is covered in paint. But, as it did then, her unhappiness persists.
She throws herself on the floor, dangerously flopping her whole body down like a soccer player. She hurls her toys down the hallway. She sits on the wet ground on our daily walk, refusing to move. She stopped using her high chair last month, but now she crawls into my lap at each meal, presses hard against me, her thin, colt-like legs dangling over the side of the chair as I eat around her, food sliding off my fork and onto the floor with comically audible plops. I am transported back to the time when I would balance her across my middle while eating every meal cold, terrified I would accidentally drop hot food on her fresh, bald head.
“You’re the mother. You set the tone,” my sister scolds me when I call her on the cusp of week three. When she says it, I know it’s true and unfair in the way all things about motherhood are true and unfair, that moms get penalised at work for their children while dads get promoted, that moms handle the majority of domestic tasks, that moms get judged for each effort while dads get lauded for just showing up.
“It’s survival mode,” she says, that phrase everyone said after she was born, echoed now by anyone trying to parent through this crisis. “Just do what you need to get through.”
But I can’t. My village, already so much smaller than any previous generation, shrinks even further as we are told to stay away from friends, family, neighbours, grandparents, until our entire universe is just the three of us. Outside, terrible things are happening, makeshift morgues and rising numbers. Friends are diagnosed. Anecdotal evidence from Italy about what to expect fills social media. Soon, they warn us, everyone will know someone.
Advertisement
But stranded on our island, I can only give them fleeting acknowledgement as the feeling aches and throbs from a small, sad part of my soul, one that I haven’t felt since her infancy: fear of failure.
Fear that I can’t do it, at least not in the way mothers are supposed to. That even with the sky falling and the world crumbling, I can’t be the mother I so want to be, the one who can sacrifice herself for her child with the ease everyone assumes all mothers have.
I am desperate for words of comfort – that I am doing this right, that when we return to whatever we return to, she will be okay. That I have not ruined her in this time with my short temper or my uncreative projects or my incredibly relaxed screen time.
Articles multiply online about the impact this will have on a generation of children, the ones that were already living through the climate crisis and school shootings now saddled with the consequences of a pandemic, an economic depression. None of us know how our actions in this time will manifest as our children grow, the articles say.
I find myself thinking, in the rare quiet moments of the day, how this time will imprint on my daughter, this time when the ones in charge are failing her, from leaders at the top ignoring the crisis until it’s too late all the way down to me, her own mother at the bottom who cannot stand to pick up the dried rice from the spilled sensory bin one... more... time.
Advertisement
Three weeks into quarantine, three weeks without the pacifier, staring down another sleepless night, I try something different. Desperate to try and relax her for sleep, I begin to talk, narrating what we did that day: We woke up. We got dressed. We went outside. We looked at the yellow flowers.
I lower myself into the rocking chair, something I haven’t been able to do since the pacifier fairy came. She only sighs a small protest. I continue: We had lunch. We watched Daniel Tiger. We had dinner. We took a bath. We had milk. We brushed our teeth.
It’s a rose-coloured rendition of the day that ignores the crying and whining that came from both of us, but for some reason it works. As I talk, I can feel her body settle into mine. She lies against me in the same position she lay as a newborn, her warm milky breath against my neck, her legs now spread over my hip bones but with her arms still tucked up in between our bodies like a baby bird. She drifts to sleep that night listening to the top highlights, the moments we were both our best selves.
The comfort she’d once known and depended on is gone. But maybe there’s a new solace — one for both of us — in these moments of reflection, acknowledging the buoys that kept us afloat for one more day, the things we should remember to give thanks for.
The small magic of just getting through.
This article first appeared on HuffPost Personal
Have a compelling personal story you want to tell? Find out what we’re looking for here, and pitch us on ukpersonal@huffpost.com


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-17--From Flora To Sakura: 12 Baby Names Inspired By Flowers

Iuliia Zavalishina via Getty Images
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
Finding inspiration to name your baby can come from anywhere – starting from outside your window. Many classic names for newborns are inspired by nature – and what’s more, they never seem to go out of favour.
Advertisement
We have a wealth of baby name inspiration on HuffPost UK Parents, but here are 12 monikers inspired by some of the most beautiful flowers and plants in the wild outdoors.
Jane Khomi via Getty Images
Rose
Rose comes from the Latin word ‘rosa’, which referred to the flower itself.
Lily
Lily comes from Middle English for ‘lilie’ and can be short for Lilian and Lilith.
Jasmine
In Arabic, the name Jasmine means “gift from God”.
Fleur
Fleur comes from the French, meaning “flower”.
Sakura
Sakura comes from the Japanese word for “cherry blossom”.
Daisy
Daisy represents the flower – it comes from the Old English for “day’s eye”.
Aster
Aster comes from the Greek word for “star”. The flowers look a little like daisies.
Camellia
The name comes from the flowering, pretty plant that blooms white, pink, yellow or red flowers.
Flora
Flora comes from Latin, meaning flower. In mythology, it’s also the name of the Roman goddess of springtime.
OGphoto via Getty Images
Advertisement
Poppy
The name Poppy comes from Old English, and it’s an immediately recognisable flower.
Fern
The non-flowering plant is a popular name and was even given to the little girl in E. B. White’s children’s classic book, Charlotte’s Web.
Briar


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-17--How Restaurants Will Be Different When They Reopen After Covid-19 Closures

LOADING ERROR LOADING
This article was originally published on the US version of HuffPost.
As stay-at-home orders elapse in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, restaurateurs will need to formulate plans for when, how and whether to fully reopen to the public. But what will the restaurant world look like then, and how will businesses adjust to an entirely new set of expectations and norms?
Restaurant re-openings will undoubtedly be trying endeavours, given the state of public health and the natural apprehension many Americans are feeling right now. But the food and beverage industry has a track record of resilience and determination, and that’s why plenty of chefs and restaurateurs feel confident in their ability to weather this storm.
Advertisement
“I think challenging and unknown times still lie ahead, but I do know and have faith in the passion and creativity of the restaurant industry and the appreciation [people] have for food and for keeping our food culture unique,” executive chef Heena Patel of Besharam in San Francisco told HuffPost. “As an industry, we will all adjust and do everything we can to keep/bring back our staff and do what we love the most, feeding our community.”
Andreas Rentz via Getty Images A waitress at Miebachs restaurant in Cologne, Germany, serves guests on May 12, 2020, the day after restaurants and cafes were allowed to reopen for the first time since March. The effort is part of a careful easing of restrictions as German authorities seek to raise economic activity while still monitoring the rates of coronavirus infection.
So what will this new frontier of restaurant culture look like? We spoke with a group of restaurant owners, chefs and managers to get their thoughts on this matter.
Even after lockdown orders elapse, many restaurants will take their time to reopen their dining rooms.
In states like Georgia and Texas, restaurants have the legal ability to reopen their dining rooms to those who’d like to dine onsite. But even if state law doesn’t prohibit this move, many restaurateurs in major foodie areas like Atlanta and Austin are choosing to delay their re-openings until post-quarantine conditions seem more stable.
“Right now, the landscape in Atlanta is mixed, with some restaurants that have resumed operations and some that have yet to do so,” explained Mandy Slater, co-owner of 9 Mile Station. “Some restaurateurs are hesitant, but for varying reasons ― some have small, intimate dining rooms and can’t make it work with our current restrictions. Some have a thriving takeout business currently and don’t need or want to undertake an entirely new operational plan right now, so they are taking their time to open up in the way that makes the most sense for their business. And others just don’t feel that they can open safely right now.”
For co-owner Adam Orman of L’Oca d’Oro in Austin, reopening his dining room right now doesn’t add up financially, and he feels that using that space for other endeavours is a better way to channel his resources.
“If we put our tables six feet apart, we will have about 40 seats, including outdoor seating, which is only about one-third capacity,” Orman told HuffPost. “We’re not about to try and put them closer together, and we hope that our colleagues won’t either because we can’t afford, financially or emotionally, to shut down again.”
He also explained that if his restaurant rearranges the dining room to accommodate sit-down diners, it would have to sacrifice its to-go business and food bank contributions, which are all put together in the dining room space.
Advertisement
Social distancing is here to stay.
Restaurants generally agree that their dine-in businesses can’t safely restart unless their staff and clientele maintain social distancing measures and standards.
“We know we will need to minimise our table count in order to spread them further apart and maintain as much social distancing as possible,” said general manager Gina Buck of Concord Hill in the New York City borough of Brooklyn.
NurPhoto via Getty Images People dine outdoors in Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 11, 2020. Ukraine is allowing visits to parks, squares, recreational areas and some businesses as it starts a gradual exit from COVID-19 quarantine.
New York City-based restaurateur David Burke agrees that spacing needs to be a massive priority when his restaurants reopen, and he plans to apply social distancing rules to staff and vendors as well as guests.
“We’ll be limiting staff and hours and looking at traffic patterns,” Burke told HuffPost. “At our townhouse where David Burke Tavern is located, the landlord has been very kind in allowing us to use her door so we can create one-way traffic for our guests, like the grocery stores’ one-way aisles.”
Advertisement
In addition, Burke said the stools at the bar will be removed and no vendors will be allowed inside. Instead, restaurant employees will accept product deliveries on the sidewalk, unpacking them there and disposing of the packaging outside.
Outdoor seating is a major boon to restaurants eager to resume “normal” operations.
Outdoor dining spaces seem like a natural solution to distancing concerns since they typically offer customers more opportunities to spread out and avoid close contact.
“Our business is unique in that it’s very large and nearly all outdoors,” Slater said of her Atlanta space. “Social distance of six feet is easily achieved and crowd and occupancy control is something we do on a daily basis.”
Chef/owner Max Hardy of Coop Detroit also sees the value in outdoor seating, especially if the restaurant occupancy limits are similar to the ones already being enforced in reopened states. “The 25% capacity limit won’t work in Detroit, in my opinion,” he told HuffPost. “Most restaurants operate on small margins already. Some owners and restaurateurs take home about 25% profit only, after expenses and taking care of their staff. Outdoor seating will help ease concerns and give guests peace of mind; it will also allow restaurants more curb appeal to attract additional guests.”
Curbside pickup and delivery will likely become a regular occurrence, even at high-end restaurants.
For many upscale restaurants, the pandemic-related shutdowns prompted their first-ever forays into delivery and takeout. Co-owner Rick Wahlstedt of Le Bilboquet and Le Colonial in Atlanta believes that these to-go operations will persist long after restaurants resume full service because “the home has become a sanctuary of safety and will remain that way.”
Advertisement
“With this in mind, I believe that curbside pickup and take-out from high-end restaurants will continue and even develop post pandemic and the years to come,” he said.
Washington, D.C., chef and restaurateur Spike Mendelsohn also sees a bright future for high-end food delivery, but he hopes that third-party delivery vendors will reduce their commission rates and allow for more manageable relationships with restaurants: “Pre-COVID, many restaurants looked at working with third-party delivery services (UberEats, GrubHub, Doordash, Postmates) as a supplemental revenue stream,” Mendelsohn told HuffPost, “and we were willing to take a hit with the huge marketplace commissions they charged us (30% and higher) as a way to introduce at-home customers to our product.”
“I believe increased delivery will persist long past the pandemic, and it will become a primary revenue stream for many restaurants,” he continued. “I am hopeful that these third party facilitators will drop their commissions to more reasonable rates long-term.”
Restaurant staffers will undergo regular health screenings and wear protective gear for the foreseeable future.
Social distancing and the willingness of guests to wear masks will contribute to a safer post-pandemic dining experience, as will screening policies and protective equipment for restaurant employees.
Advertisement
Andreas Rentz via Getty Images A customer sits outdoors a day after restaurants and cafes were allowed to reopen for the first time since March in Cologne, Germany.
“In preparation for our reopening, we put new measures in place and held a meeting with all of our employees to address any concerns and discuss new policies,” said Daniel DeLeon, owner of Grumpy’s Restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida.
“We made the decision to implement temperature checks on all staff members every morning before they clock in, as well as a health screening to make sure they are feeling well before interacting with any customers or fellow employees,” DeLeon explained. “As always, everyone wears gloves and all kitchen staffers are now required to wear masks. We have also put in five new hand sanitising stations for both guests and employees throughout the restaurant, positioned by entrances and high-contact areas.”
Owner Kristen Heaney of Yard Bar in Austin reopened her establishment on May 1 by taking clear precautionary steps to ensure the safety of her staff and her customers.
“Tables that were once communal now only seat parties up to six and are now spaced 10 to 12 feet apart to ensure ample room for safe distancing,” Heaney said. “Our guests are asked to wear masks as they come and go from their tables. We have patio staff to answer questions about our menu and share details about our new operations, and all ordering and payment is done online. Our staff — wearing masks and gloves — deliver food and drinks by tray to a cart that is set six feet away from the guests’ table. The staff discusses what’s on the tray, answers any questions, and then leaves the guests to pick up their items from the tray. Our staff are all temp checked before their shifts and interviewed to confirm they are neither experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms nor have they made any known contact with a coronavirus carrier.”
Advertisement
“We can’t afford, financially or emotionally, to shut down again.” - Adam Orman of L’Oca d’Oro in Austin, Texas
Chef Nicola Blaque of The Jerk Shack in San Antonio, Texas, has justifiable concerns about larger groups attempting to gather in her restaurant, and while she’s still holding off on reopening her restaurant, citing a wish to see a more substantial decrease in the virus’ spread before taking that chance, she hopes that guests will exercise caution and a healthy dose of common sense before meeting their friends for a bite.
“Guests should expect to eat in smaller groups. You don’t have to eat with 10 friends,” she said. “I understand why people would want to eat out with all their friends, but we value our guests’ safety.”
Especially in large cities, the government needs to step up and help restaurants regain their footing.
As the nation’s largest coronavirus hot spot and also one of its most expensive cities, New York City faces unique challenges when it comes to restarting its legendary dining and drinking scene.
For that reason, chef/owner Ron Silver of Bubby’s in Manhattan urges the city and state governments to work with the restaurant industry to support viable reopening plans.
“I hope and trust that the city will give their full support to the restaurant industry. I want the mayor, governor, and city council to really work with us and provide us with the necessary financial safeguards and consideration that will allow us to rebuild and reestablish ourselves.”
Most of all, Silver hopes the city handles post-COVID better than it has handled past disasters. Working with Bubby’s since 1990, Silver saw Bubby’s become a distribution hub for first responders after the Covid attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
“But what came after that was a disgrace,” he said. “The city tripled our sidewalk café fees and sent in Consumer Affairs, the Sanitation Department and the Health Department to extract erroneous nickels and dimes from us. There was something else at every turn. We do not want to see that again. Our industry was arguably one of the hardest-hit, and we hope the city does not attempt to recoup lost revenue by coming after us struggling restaurants.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-17--Without Future Plans, We're Living In An 'Infinite Present'

LOADING ERROR LOADING
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
Wake up, eat, stare at a screen, exercise, eat, repeat. For those of us still working from home or furloughed during the coronavirus pandemic, it’s starting to feel like Groundhog Day.
Advertisement
The government may have published a tentative roadmap for exiting lockdown, but we still don’t know when, or if, life will return to normal. As a result, planning for the future feels impossible. The fate of holidays, weddings and even family meals remain uncertain. All we have is the here and now – we’re living in an “infinite present”.
This was a phrase shared on Twitter by American journalist Helen Rosner, who heard it during a therapy session. The infinite present, her therapist explained, is upon us because we have “no future plans, no anticipation of travel or shows or events or celebrations. It’s an endless today, never tomorrow”.
It soon became clear that the idea resonated with people in lockdown around the world, as the tweet gained more than 79k likes and 12k comments.
Advertisement
Today in therapy we talked about how (for those of us currently healthy and taking isolation seriously) right now we live in an infinite present. No future plans, no anticipation of travel or shows or events or celebrations. It’s an endless today, never tomorrow. — Helen Rosner (@hels) May 13, 2020
“That’s literally how I’ve been feeling this entire time, but didn’t know how to describe it,” one person commented. “I feel guilty if I look forward to the future and tell myself to stop thinking about it.”
Another person added: “A friend recently described the date as April 53rd. I thought that captured the moment perfectly.”
It’s completely normal to feel flat without plans for the future, psychotherapist Lucy Beresford tells HuffPost UK, so don’t panic if the phrase “infinite present” feels a little too relatable right now. Visualising the future usually acts as a spur for excitement or motivation, so it’s understandable that for some people, this new way of living can become “totally numbing”.
“Without stimulation, we can start to feel as though our life has no meaning,” she says. “Repetitiveness runs the risk of making us lose interest in life, because our brains love new things to explore and figure out.”
Advertisement
Tatiana_Stulbo via Getty Images
We often hear that focusing on the present by practising mindfulness is a good way to combat stress and anxiety. But is mindfulness still useful if your present hasn’t started to feel painfully boring?
“Being in the present is still important because ‘future-tripping’ [worrying about things that haven’t happened yet] can make us feel anxious or helpless,” says Beresford. “Staying in ‘the now’ is a really good tool, just not all the time. Otherwise you miss out on the joys of reflection and anticipation.”
As with all things in life, balance is preferable. You may not be able to plan for the future, but you might benefit from trying gratitude forecasting, which involves thinking about all the things you will be grateful for when they return.
The anticipation of something – like a holiday or family gathering – can often be as enjoyable as the real thing, says Beresford, “some people would argue, even more so”. We can still anticipate joy in lockdown – just think smaller. Sex, an ice cream, your favourite dinner, a weekend lie in, the smell of your morning coffee or an evening of no Zoom calls.
You can complement this future thinking by diarising your present day to make it feel less repetitive. This might mean scheduling a family call, following an online gym class, or planning to watch something specific on TV, rather than mindlessly turning on Netflix, Beresford suggests.
Advertisement
Creating small, short-term goals will also help. “It could be tackling a new recipe, cleaning out the spare room, weeding the window-box, or signing up to be a phone buddy for a care-home,” she says. “Think of ways to get outside yourself, and plan what you can do for others at this time.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-17--The UK's Coronavirus Debt Situation Explained In A Way That Won't Make Your Head Hurt

LOADING ERROR LOADING
No one likes being in debt. The dark cloud of money owed to others has hung over most of us at one time or another, and getting out from under its shadow normally involves discipline, graft and a depressing lack of fun stuff.
But what about when that dark cloud is hanging over a government?
Largely as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s been estimated the UK will have to borrow £372.2bn this year, a sum so vast it’s pretty incomprehensible.
Advertisement
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal the UK government borrowed £36.1bn in September, £28.4bn more than in September 2019 and the third-highest borrowing in any month since records began in 1993.
And if you thought that was a lot, in April the figure was £62.1bn, £51.1bn higher than the same month last year.
At some point, the government – and in turn we – will have to pay it back.
Statista
Sounds grim – do we have any other options?
Unfortunately not. One person who knows quite a bit about the British economy at times of crisis is Lord Alastair Darling, Labour’s chancellor during the financial crash of 2008.
Advertisement
“We just have to accept this is an extraordinary event – we’ve never seen anything like it before in modern times and it’s going to take a long time to recover,” he told HuffPost UK in May.
“The priority is actually making sure we’ve got an economy when we come through the other side of it.”
Statista
Fair enough. Where’s this debt coming from?
As Lord Darling alludes to, the government has made a number of decisions aimed at ensuring that, once we make it through the coronavirus crisis, we still actually have an economy.
One of the costliest interventions is the furlough scheme which sees the government pay a sizeable chunk of wages to those who are temporarily unable to work because of the lockdown.
Advertisement
“You need to keep as many businesses going as possible,” says Lord Darling.
“You need to keep people in work as far as you possibly can so that, when things get better, we can get growing again rather than looking around a completely shattered landscape.”
Chancellor Rishi Sunak this week overhauled the furlough scheme which, when it was launched, was only supposed to last until October.
Speaking in the Commons, Sunak said employer contributions for hours not worked due to coronavirus restrictions will fall to 5%. Workers will only have to work 20% of their hours, he said.
Other schemes such as Eat Out To Help Out obviously cost money and with no end in sight to restrictions and an uncertain winter ahead, the debt will only increase.
Where is the government getting this money from?
If you are a bit short on cash, you might ask a mate for a tenner to tide you over until payday. If they’re nice they’ll say yes and if they’re decent to boot, they won’t expect anything in return aside from their original £10 outlay.
Advertisement
If you’re a government it’s a bit trickier. Your “mates” are other governments and it’s unlikely they’ll lend you some money without expecting something in return, which could entail any number of things in the cutthroat and often shady world of geopolitics.
Also, there’s the not-so-small matter of government debts being quite a bit larger than £10 – see above.
So what they do is issue bonds. Someone – usually a large financial institution such as a bank or a pension fund – then buys that bond.
This gives the government some cash to spend and in return, the buyer gets a set amount of money as interest – usually every six months – plus a payout when the bond matures.
Bonds are issued over set time limits – anything from one month to 30-plus years. The longer the bond, the more money the buyer can expect as their investment is being tied up for longer and there is more risk of something going wrong.
Advertisement
They’re generally seen as one of the safest investments you can make but the returns are slow and steady and usually far lower than riskier investments like the stock market.
How do they pay it back?
In essence, a government has two options. The first is the closest to how a household would pay off a debt – reduce your spending and try and up your earnings.
For a government this means cutting public services so the money raised through taxes pays off the debt.
Sound familiar? That’s because it was the preferred method of the Conservatives (and for a while their Lib Dem partners) when they took power in 2010 – AKA “austerity”.
But a government has another option – grow the economy, generate taxes and hope this creates more money than the interest rate on the debt.
Advertisement
Ricardo Reis, professor of economics at LSE, uses the analogy of a student loan to explain how this works.
“When you were 18 you maybe borrowed some money. At that time your income was ridiculously low, but by now your income is much higher.
“Therefore it makes perfect sense to borrow when you were 18 and pay a fraction of what your income is now.”
And bingo – it’s taken quite a few years but you’ve paid off your debt and because your earnings have increased, you’ve barely felt that little wedge of cash coming out of your payslip each week.
Empty streets and boarded up shops and restaurants in Soho, London. Empics Entertainment
Advertisement
How long are we talking?
It’s too early to say but and the scale of the coronavirus crisis isn’t yet totally clear. The last financial crisis in 2008 took around 18 months to recover from, but according to Lord Darling, this isn’t a helpful comparison.
“Yes, there are similarities but this is much, much worse,” he says.
“If you’re looking at debt levels, the better comparison is with what the position was at the end of the second Second World War and if you look at the debts we then, it took decades to pay it off – not until the beginning of this century.”
Which option will the government go for?
It’s too early to say for sure and the fact remains that we don’t even know how big the debt will be or when we could start paying it back.
Boris Johnson has ruled out using austerity measures as part of the government’s response to the economic damage caused by coronavirus.
Instead, the prime minister suggested he would plough on with plans to ramp up government spending, suggesting it could “encourage” the economy to “bounce back” after the crisis.
Advertisement
AKA, option 2.
But the PM may clash Sunak. A Treasury document drawn up for the chancellor and dated May 5 said measures including income tax hikes, a two-year public sector pay freeze and the end of the triple lock on pensions may be required to fund the debt.
This approach was backed by an analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) which in July said Britain could face decades of tax rises to repair its battered public finances.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-18--MPs At Higher Risk Of Covid-19 Could Keep Working From Home

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
MPs who are vulnerable to Covid-19 are expected to be given special permission to continue to work remotely from parliament once MPs return from their late May break, HuffPost UK has learned.
Advertisement
The compromise plan being considered by Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg follows strong concerns from Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle that no member of parliament should feel disenfranchised by a return to more traditional working next month.
Rees-Mogg is due to update MPs on Wednesday on his intention to end the ‘hybrid’ practice of allowing any member to use Zoom calls and other technology to take part in question times, debates, select committees and even remote voting.
But with a significant number of Tory backbenchers worried about the consequences of the move, it is understood that the Commons leader will set out how special protections will work for MPs who have underlying health conditions, are over-70 or pregnant.
Allies of Speaker Hoyle were surprised at Rees-Mogg’s “bombshell” announcement last week that it was time to end the hybrid proceedings because the “virtual veneer of a parliament” had undermined proper debate and scrutiny.
Advertisement
The announcement, of his intention not to renew key standing orders to keep the hybrid working after the Whitsun recess, followed a private meeting with the Speaker in which no indication was given of a major change.
Hoyle has already made clear that he will suspend sittings of parliament if there are more than 50 MPs in the Commons chamber and Rees-Mogg is also determined to ensure current 2m social distancing rules continue to apply.
But many senior Conservatives including Sir Graham Brady and Sir Charles Walker believe the Commons should set an example to the country that life is slowly returning to normal with a ‘physical’ parliament once more.
Public Health England advisers will be closely involved in the protocols. “The Speaker is not going to do anything that they are not happy with,” one source said.
Discussions are ongoing between the Speaker and Rees-Mogg but the expectation is that there will be exemptions to allow some MPs to keep using remote working.
Advertisement
“Rather than switch off the hybrid capability completely, there should be the capacity to keep it going in limited,” one insider said.
Tory chief whip Mark Spencer has been firm in private meetings that the hybrid experiment cannot continue in its current form, partly because it is more difficult to maintain party discipline remotely.
Although there is set to be some flexibility for remote working, votes will have to be done in person, albeit with physical distancing. Those who cannot come into parliament will be expected to ‘pair’ with Opposition MPs, rather than be allowed a proxy vote.
One of the biggest reasons for requiring most MPs to be present is the need to increase the number of hours and days worked to get Brexit and other major legislation, such as the Domestic Violence Bill, passed.
A shortage of Commons broadcasting staff means that the parliamentary day has to be short, and that the House can for only sit three days a week.
Advertisement
After June 2, the Commons will sit its normal long days, four days a week, although private members bills may be deemed ‘non essential’ and therefore Friday sittings will not take place in coming weeks.
PA
Conservative MPs’ WhatsApp groups have been packed with debate on the issue in recent days, with many split over the plans. The divisions don’t follow political lines, with some on the Right of the party unhappy at what they see as a premature return to traditional working.
“We’ve got a leadership role and the country needs reassurance that things are slowly returning to some kind of normal,” one of Rees-Mogg’s supporters said.
Another MP said a major driver for the change was to force SNP and Labour MPs to turn up in person. “It’s too easy for them to vote against us without putting in any effort to be here,” they said.
Advertisement
Labour MPs accept that the SNP are using the modernised techniques to stay away from a parliament they ultimately want no part of, but stress that many Labour members want to come in and have actually been ordered to stay at home.
Labour backbenchers say that all MPs have seen their constituency caseloads increase because of the Covid-19 crisis, and that they and their staff can sometimes better cope by working with a hybrid chamber.
One Tory said that they agreed a return to normal working was desirable but some flexibility was key. “As long as we make clear this is temporary, why not keep some hybrid elements for those who need them? We’ve got a bloody big parliamentary majority, what are we so afraid of?”
Another Conservative MP added: “The PM is the one who has told the public ‘stay at home if you can work at home, go into work if you can’t’. We have shown we can work at home with Zoom and everything else, so why do we need to all go into work?”
An ex-minister said: “I see no reason why both [virtual and physical] couldn’t continue to operate. We need to set an example that people who are shielding or vulnerable shouldn’t be forced back to their places of work if they can continue at home.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-18--Slow, Slow, Quick, Quick, Slow: Boris Johnson’s Covid-19 Foxtrot?

LOADING ERROR LOADING
You’re reading The Waugh Zone, our daily politics briefing. Sign up now to get it by email in the evening.
Bury in the lead?
Bury in Greater Manchester has several claims to fame. The birthplace of Robert Peel, the Tory prime minister who created Britain’s first police force, hometown of filmmaker Danny Boyle and comedian Victoria Wood, it even boasts a rather fine line in black puddings. But within political circles, it is best known as a key bellwether town.
Advertisement
Bury North is in fact the most marginal seat in Great Britain, with just 105 votes separating winner Tory James Daly from defeated ex-Labour MP James Frith. Bury South also has a wafer-thin Tory majority of 402 votes (and another Conservative gain in 2019). It’s no wonder that Keir Starmer’s early event in his leadership campaign was a ‘MarginalSeatTest’ with Frith. And no surprise that his first ‘Call Keir’ zoom call event as Labour leader was with the town’s voters.
Well, today, Bury is in the news again for making a bit of history, and one shot through with political ramifications. The Labour-run council became the first in England to say it definitely will not reopen its schools on June 1, as things stand. That makes it even more hardline than Liverpool, where the Mayor has suggested his own declaration of independence from education secretary Gavin Williamson’s plans to admit more pupils to primary schools.
In a sign of the faultlines opening up, the Tory group leader in Bury has said this looks like “a purely political decision”. Both sides are saying the science is what matters most, and until the DfE or SAGE [the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies] publishes that advice, it feels as though individual heads, teachers, unions and political parties will remain divided. Even Tories who are keen on localism are not that keen on different areas of England being split on issues as fundamental as safety of schooling.
PA
Advertisement
Of course, there are fault lines within parties too, as proved by Labour’s former education secretaries Alan Johnson and David Blunkett both pushing hard for early opening to help disadvantaged pupils. Tonight, Tony Blair (under whose premiership Labour always held both Bury parliamentary seats) will tell Newsnight that “there are some children who will have been having no education at all...you’ve got to get the schools back”. Some in the shadow cabinet think their own position could shift too, if the medical evidence is clear.
As coincidence would have it, a Bury resident asked the first question at the No.10 press conference today. ‘Danny’ (no, it wasn’t Boyle) asked when the government will publish a ‘swift’ economic recovery plan. Dominic Raab seemed rather taken aback at the suggestion that there was a lack of plans published so far, but insisted that it was a “roadmap with maximum conditionality”. And again, those conditions will come down not to the science, but to who thinks what about the science.
It’s perfectly possible that if the government doesn’t meet all its own conditions or tests, then the June 1 date could be delayed, at least for schools. Some ministers are relaxed about the idea of a one or even a two week delay, if that’s what’s needed to get the number of cases or R down further. They complain that Starmer called for an exit strategy, then deliberately ignored its conditionality when one was produced.
Curiously, for an administration that is keen on conditionality, getting a full-scale testing and tracing capability up and running is not explicitly one of those conditions. Matt Hancock has gently tried to decouple his tracing plans from the wider lockdown easing phases, perhaps to give the PM more freedom. Yet as was clear today, his NHSX app (which he’d said would be “rolled out” by now) may not be ready in time for the next review of the situation on May 28, or that June 1 school date. Shoe-leather contact tracing is slower, and could add another reason for a sensible delay.
The political danger is that having raised some hopes with his timetable, Boris Johnson ends up being accused of a political foxtrot: slow, slow, quick, quick, slow. Too slow on some key areas (lockdown, testing, PPE), too quick on others (discharging hospital patients to care homes without enough testing and PPE, racing to get schools back, rushing his ‘stay alert’ address to the nation) and then going ‘slow’ again as he recalibrates his way through this crisis.
Advertisement
The people of Bury may ultimately be very understanding about this political dance. But as some polls suggested this weekend, they may not.
Quote Of The Day
“We may have to live and learn to live with this virus in the long term, and certainly for many months to come, if not several years.”
Deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van Tam
Monday Cheat Sheet
People who lose their normal sense of smell will now be asked to self-isolate with suspected coronavirus, in line with an expanded list of officially recognised symptoms.
Everyone aged five and over in the UK with symptoms can now be tested for coronavirus, Matt Hancock announced, just after Nicola Sturgeon unveiled the move for Scotland.
Northern Ireland announced groups of up to six people who do not live in the same household will be allowed to meet outdoors.
Advertisement
Families hoping for an overseas summer holiday have been given a glimmer of hope after Grant Shapps floated the idea of “air bridges” between the UK and countries with a low incidence of Covid-19. He also confirmed that nearly 44,000 airline staff have been furloughed.
The government’s flagship Immigration Bill is due to get its second reading, despite Labour vowing to vote against.
More than 6,000 jobs are at risk after owners of the Bella Italia and Cafe Rouge restaurant chains filed intent to appoint administrators at the High Court.
Most younger Leave voters think the UK should keep or boost EU regulations and standards after Brexit, a new poll has suggested.
What I’m Reading
Check out this superb piece of reportage in the Miami Herald. While passengers on cruise liners have long since escaped, many staff are still trapped, some with no pay. And there have been at least two suicides.
Advertisement
100,000 crew members remain in cruise ship limbo for months - Miami Herald
Got A Tip?
Send tips, stories, quotes, pics, plugs or gossip to waugh.zone@huffpost.com.
Subscribe To Commons People


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-18--Trump Says He's Taking Hydroxychloroquine - A Drug Not Proven To Treat Covid-19

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
US president Donald Trump has revealed he is taking the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, which he has touted as a preventive medicine against the coronavirus despite medical warnings about its use.
Advertisement
“I’ve been taking it for the last week and a half. A pill every day,” Trump told reporters on Monday.
He said he has been having “zero symptoms” from it.
Hydroxychloroquine is also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, but numerous clinical trials have yet to prove it effectively treats coronavirus.
Trump spent weeks pushing the drug as a potential cure for Covid-19 against the advice of many of his administration’s top medical professionals.
The drug has the potential to cause significant side effects in some patients and has not been shown to combat coronavirus.
Advertisement
Trump said his doctor did not recommend the drug to him but he requested it from the White House physician.
“I started taking it, because I think it’s good,” he said. “I’ve heard a lot of good stories.”
He dismissed reports of side effects, saying: “All I can tell you is, so far I seem to be OK.”
There is NO evidence for hydrochloroquine being effective in treatment of #covid19 or prophylaxis to prevent the disease. This is a medication that has serious side effects. I am very concerned about @realDonaldTrump continuing to model behavior that could harm many Americans. — Leana Wen, M.D. (@DrLeanaWen) May 18, 2020
Trump has repeatedly pushed the malaria drug with or without the antibiotic azithromycin, but no large, rigorous studies have found them safe or effective for preventing or treating Covid-19. They can cause heart rhythm problems and other side effects.
The Food and Drug Administration has warned against the drug combo and said hydroxychloroquine should only be used for coronavirus in formal studies.
Two large observational studies, each involving around 1,400 patients in New York, recently found no benefit from hydroxychloroquine. Two new ones published on Thursday in the medical journal BMJ reached the same conclusion.
Advertisement
One, by French researchers, gave 84 hospital patients the drug and 97 others the usual care. There were no differences in the odds of death, need for intensive care or developing severe illness.
The other study from China was a stricter test: 150 adults in hospital with mild or moderate illness were randomly assigned to receive hydroxychloroquine or usual care. The drug made no difference in rates of clearing the virus or time to relief of symptoms, and they brought more side effects.
In April, the National Institutes of Health launched a study testing hydroxychloroquine versus a placebo drug in 500 Covid-19 patients.
Last week, NIH announced another study to see if hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin can prevent hospital admission or death in people with mild to moderate illness.
About 2,000 US adults with confirmed coronavirus infections and symptoms such as fever, cough or shortness of breath will receive the drugs or placebo pills.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-18--Delayed Warning On Loss Of Taste And Smell 'Certainly' Helped Spread Covid-19 In UK

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Get the latest on coronavirus.Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
The government’s belated decision to recognise a loss of smell and taste as an official symptom of coronavirus has “certainly” affected how far the virus has spread in the UK, a leading doctor has told HuffPost UK.
Advertisement
Ear, nose and throat specialist Professor Nirmal Kumar, along with colleague Professor Claire Hopkins, called on Public Health England eight weeks ago to recognise anosmia as a symptom of Covid-19 after they saw a huge increase of it among their patients.
Prof Kumar told HuffPost UK: “We certainly think it’s affected how far the virus has spread. The problem with the symptom is it’s in young fit people who otherwise are well and don’t have any other severe symptoms.
“Having no other severe symptoms, you then go about your normal activities if you’re a key worker or a health worker. It’s almost worse because if you had a terrible symptom like a fever you wouldn’t be walking around.”
HuffPost UK has learned of at least one instance where a care home worker rang 111 and was told that because he was only experiencing anosmia and not a cough or fever, that it was safe for him to go to work.
Advertisement
In a similar case, Freya Langdale, 29, a community psychiatric nurse working in Lewisham, told PA Media that she developed anosmia at the end of March.
She did not develop a cough, might have had a mild temperature, but otherwise had no “extreme” other symptoms.
Asked about a loss of taste and smell now being added to the NHS list she said: “I think it is a bit frustrating”, adding: “I’m a nurse and working with patients, we were told: ‘Oh it’s only if you have a temperature or a cough then if you don’t have that then you can come in’.”
Other purported incidents of similar cases have also appeared on social media since the decision to add anosmia was announced.
Finally!!!! As an A&E nurse having these symptoms yet they wouldn’t test us at the time this was back in March!!! Do you no the heartache this has caused, that I’ve give this to my loved ones or any of my patients??? I had no cough or fever! — Ashlee👸 (@GibneyAshlee) May 18, 2020
Advertisement
My son a paramedic was the same.. amd he gave it to his partner an nurse practitioner 7days later... he was made go to work as it wasnt a symptom — Maria Taylor (@MariaGtal) May 18, 2020
@BBC_Global_News yes, 100,000 tests per day for NHS staff however....my wife is a key worker but was denied a test because she did not meet the criteria. This is all despite having a high temperature, constant cough, achy muscles wand loss of taste and smell.....disgusting! — Bob Brockwell (@BobBrockwell) April 8, 2020
At Monday’s Downing Street briefing, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said very few Covid-19 patients experience loss of taste and smell as a lone symptom of the virus.
He added: “So, the point about anosmia is it doesn’t always come as the first symptom.
“Even if it does, it is followed by the cough, the fever and many of the other symptoms I have talked about.”
But Professor Hopkins told HuffPost UK this was because most of those being tested for coronavirus in the UK were already in hospital as they went there with more severe symptoms such as cough or fever.
Advertisement
She add: “I’ve worked with colleagues across Europe where testing was more widely available to look at patterns in mild patients, and in those patients cough and fever are much less common and loss of smell the most prevalent.”
Prof Kumar added: “It can come as just the one symptom in 20% of patients for certain.”
The UK has been one of the slowest nations to update its guidelines on anosmia and the NHS’s official list of symptoms is far shorter than international counterparts.
As of May 18, it lists:
high temperature
new, continuous cough
loss or change to your sense of smell or taste (anosmia)


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-18--A Minute Of Kindness: Girl Who Lost Her Legs Walks A Marathon At Home For Charity

A Minute Of Kindness: Girl Who Lost Her Legs Walks A Marathon At Home For Charity
Maisie Catt lost her legs when she was a baby due to meningitis and septicaemia. Now walking on blades, she decided to walk a marathon in her garden and on a treadmill, to raise money for a struggling amputee charity.