thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-23--Boris Johnson's Need To Be Adored Means We Are Policing Ourselves During Coronavirus

Half of my friends see no issue whatsoever with popping out to see a pal, while others only feel comfortable catching up via FaceTime. PA Images via Getty Images
This week, we’ve seen far more of Boris Johnson than we ever thought was possible. With No 10 now home to a live, daily broadcast, Johnson’s Achilles heel (one of many), has truly been exposed — his need to be adored. The result is pandemonium for the rest of us.
Even amid the biggest crisis to face a generation, Johnson appears to put public polling above the safety of the UK’s most vulnerable citizens: first with ‘herd immunity’ and then with the drip-drip of public guidance as he realises this tactic will not wash with the general public.
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His malleability served him well during his two terms as London mayor, and on the 2019 campaign trail and when he flip-flopped over Brexit. But during the pandemic, we don’t need him to be likeable; we need him to make hard, fast choices.
Not wanting to isolate even a single voter, Johnson’s ‘advice’ in the crisis has attempted to appeal to almost everyone. From refusing to criticise those who still frequent their local pub (flouting any attempt to protect the vulnerable) to offering almost no clarity on social isolation, Johnson ensures that the onus is on the public – and not on him.
This weakness becomes even more visible when we compare Johnson’s approach to others. Take Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, who has opted for a far firmer and clearer approach. At the weekend, she said in a speech, “If your life feels normal right now, ask yourself if you’re doing everything you can be”. Her advice is indisputable and crystal clear about the approach that Scotland’s citizens should take.
There is now genuine confusion in Covid-19 Britain. Up until Friday, parents dropped their children at school as normal. If your office didn’t offer a remote working policy as advised, you would commute to work as per usual. For many, Johnson’s desperate U-turn over the weekend, encouraging us to get outdoors to exercise and then, hours later, reversing that advice, has left many of us completely unsure as to where they stand – and the proof is in our packed parks and overflowing beaches.
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Allowing social distancing to be open to interpretation has created a dangerous precedent of moral policing between ourselves – and the result is on our Twitter feeds. Divided between two extremes of self-isolation and complete disregard, the UK is being led by social etiquette and the fear of judgement, as opposed to clear guidance from leaders.
But, like almost all aspects of social media, there’s a performative nature to how some of us are behaving and exhibiting that behaviour to others.
With #Lockdown trending across platforms, a new form of ‘expert’ has arisen — the person who takes to Instagram to offer their interpretations of Johnson’s words. For example, isolating themselves completely to demonstrate that, even if others aren’t at that stage yet, they’re doing the ‘right’ thing. (Who can forget the disastrous cover of John Lennon’s Imagine, a poorly timed shot at unity from celebrities across the globe? Those who are ‘self-isolating’ in eight-bed properties couldn’t understand the cabin fever that the rest of us face.)
And this ‘I’ve got it right’ behaviour filters further down. The competitive nature of people on Instagram and other platforms means we are doing everything from boasting about our productivity and virtual work-outs to who has the best home-schooling plan – even before the closure of schools was announced.
“It’s far easier for us to judge our park-roaming peers online than critique an ever-changing and complex approach to a pandemic”
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Those that query if it’s ok to see a friend or even drop something at a parent’s house are either labelled as ‘feckless idiots’ or ‘they’re blowing this whole situation out of proportion’. Even amongst our own friendship groups, a divide is clear. Half of my friends see no issue whatsoever with popping in to see a pal, while others only feel comfortable catching up via FaceTime. It’s now becoming increasingly difficult to find the line of where selfishness starts and normal life ends.
Simply put, it’s far easier for us to judge our park-roaming peers online than critique an ever-changing and complex approach to a pandemic. We’re focussing on the neighbour that stomps to the shop four times a day rather than allow ourselves to comprehend the seemingly devastating economic repercussions that affect everyone from nursery-school children to those in retirement. We all take solace in admonishing the stockpiling ‘morons’, rather than allow for nuance. For example, some of these people may have chronic health conditions, and this is the last time in the near future they may be able to truly make their own choices – even something as simple as selecting their own fruit.
We are being inundated with posing, justifications, excuses, defences, and pleas for better behaviour. Influencers are captioning photos with the words ‘Before all this happened’, for fear of anyone suggesting that they aren’t taking this seriously, and our inboxes are full of CEOs telling us that they’re ‘doing their best’.
It’s easy to see why many people feel angry and defensive. Because we are being led by fear. Fear for cherished grandparents and vulnerable friends. A scared public, desperately trying to protect those they love. But also fear of being judged and shamed for stepping out of line.
As the death toll rises, announced daily like some Twitter version of The Hunger Games, I wonder if Johnson’s desire to be adored will cost us far more than we could ever have imagined.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-23--Italy – And The World – Faces A Crucial Week In Flattening The Coronavirus Curve

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The eyes of health leaders across the world are focused on Italy this week as the country faces a critical moment that could prove to be a global turning point in stemming the impact of coronavirus.
Italy has become the epicentre of the global pandemic, with more than 53,000 confirmed cases and more than 4,800 deaths, and world leaders view the situation there and its response as a harbinger of what may soon happen in their own countries.
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Acknowledging the country had now exhausted all the possible ways it could to limit personal and professional contact, Franco Locatelli, president of Italy’s Higher Health Council, suggested that this week will be “absolutely crucial” in mitigating the spread of the virus and that he expected to see the number of coronavirus infections start to fall.
“In the middle of the week we will be more or less 14 days after the adoption of the most stringent measures,” Locatelli said on Monday morning. “We expect the results to become evident, with a clear tendency to reduce new infections and people who lose their lives.”
Experts are hoping current measures will result in an improvement to the current crisis. TIZIANA FABI via Getty Images
Locatelli added: “Let’s continue to keep social distance. Let’s adopt these measures, let’s manage our behaviour and [...] certainly we will get the results we are hoping for.”
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His warning came after Italy reported a slight decrease in the number of coronavirus deaths after weeks of mounting casualties. On Sunday, Italian officials announced that 651 people had died from the disease, compared to 793 on Saturday.
“Today’s numbers are smaller than yesterday’s,” Angelo Borrelli, the head of Italy’s civil protection agency, said. “We all hope that this trend can be confirmed in the new few days. But we must not lower our guard.”
“Flattening the curve” refers to efforts to stagger the number of Covid-19 cases over a longer period of time so everyone can have better access to care and health services aren’t overrun.
A woman walks her dog in the EUR neighbourhood in Rome, Monday, March 23, 2020. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Boris Johnson is among world leaders closely watching the situation in Italy. “The numbers are very stark, and they are accelerating. We are only a matter of weeks – two or three – behind Italy,” the British prime minister said on Saturday. “Unless we act together, unless we make the heroic and collective national effort to slow the spread, then it is all too likely that our own NHS will be similarly overwhelmed.”
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New stringent measures announced this weekend in Italy, which has often provided an eye to the future of measures emulated across the world, include ordering all non-essential businesses and factories to close until April 3.
The hardest-hit region of Lombardy banned any outdoor exercise not on personal property and set distance limits on dog-walking. Authorities there also raised fines for violators to 5,000 euros (£4,672).
Neighbouring Spain, which after Italy has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases in Europe, also faces a critical test this week, with the government warning over the weekend that “the worst is yet to come”.
“We have yet to receive the impact of the strongest, most damaging wave, which will test our material and moral capacities to the limit, as well as our spirit as a society,” prime minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday.
There is growing concern about overcrowding at Spain’s hospitals and complaints that facilities could be running short of equipment, such as masks. Some 1,612 patients are currently in intensive care units.
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The IFEMA convention centre in Madrid is being used to treat coronavirus patients. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ricard Ferrer, chairman of Spain’s intensive medicine society, told public television channel TVE that he expected that in eight to 10 weeks around 10,000 patients would be in intensive care units. Ferrer said Spain had the capacity to deal with that number, but added that he hoped that from Monday the confinement measures would start having an impact on the number of cases.
In the US, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio similarly suggested that the city’s health care system could soon be overwhelmed. “We’re about 10 days away now from seeing widespread shortages of ventilators, surgical masks, the things necessary to keep a hospital system running,” de Blasio said on Sunday. “April is going to be a lot worse than March. And I fear May could be worse than April.”
In response to the crisis, all non-essential businesses across New York State have been ordered closed. In the UK last week, Boris Johnson ordered pubs, restaurants, and gyms to close and pleaded with people to stay at home in a bid to slow the spread of the virus. But as residents continued to flock to parks and other public spaces over the weekend, the government signalled that it might soon enact stricter lockdown measures.
“Nothing is off the table,” UK health secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC on Monday. “Of course we are looking at what other European countries are doing.”
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In Spain, Sanchez announced on Sunday that the government plans to extend the state of emergency for another 15 days, until April 11. Residents of France are now entering their second week of home confinement. In Greece a nationwide lockdown went into effect on Monday, with people allowed outside only to return from work, shop for food or medicine, or visit a doctor.
“We must not get to the point where we will have to choose who lives and who dies,” prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, alluding to the situation in Italy, where doctors in overwhelmed hospitals are being forced to decide which patients should receive treatment.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-23--Alex Salmond, Former First Minister Of Scotland, Cleared Of Attempted Rape And Sexual Assault

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Former first minister of Scotland Alex Salmond has been cleared of attempted rape and a series of sexual assaults – including one with intent to rape.
The 65-year-old walked free after being cleared by a jury following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.
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Salmond had denied 13 alleged sexual offences against nine women, who were all either working for the Scottish government or within the SNP at the time.
The jury returned a not proven verdict on one charge of assault with intent to rape, finding him not guilty of all other charges, including an attempted rape.
In the Scottish legal system, a not proven verdict is in practice the same as a not guilty verdict.
Speaking outside court Salmond said: “There is certain evidence that I would have liked to have seen led in this trial but for a variety of reasons we were not able to do so.
“Those facts will see the light but it won’t be this day.”
He said: “I’d like to thank my friends and family for standing by me over the last two years.”
A number of the charges Salmond faced had allegedly taken place at Bute House in Edinburgh, the official residence of Scotland’s first minister.
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He was first arrested and charged by Police Scotland in relation to the allegations in January 2019.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-23--Here’s Where You Can Spot Venus And Mercury This Week

Here’s Where You Can Spot Venus And Mercury This Week
This week is your best chance of spotting Venus and Mercury in the sky, as a rare cosmic coincidence means both planets are furthest away from the sun. Here’s where and when you can catch them.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-23--Kirstie Allsopp 'Pretty Sure' She's Had Coronavirus After Husband Tests Positive

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Kirstie Allsopp believes she may have had coronavirus but didn’t have “bad symptoms”.
The Location, Location, Location presenter’s husband, Ben Andersen, tested positive for the virus, forcing her family into a 14-day period of self-isolation.
Kirstie admitted that she thinks she too could have been infected – albeit to a very mild extend – as she recalled experiencing a “tightness” in her chest.
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Kirstie Allsopp on Good Morning Britain ITV/Shutterstock
Appearing on Good Morning Britain via video link on Monday, she said: “It’s very complicated but we’re coming to the end of our 14 days.
“I think probably I have [come down with Covid-19]. I had a slight tightness in my chest a while ago.
“I’m pretty sure I’ve had it and I haven’t had bad symptoms.”
She continued: “I don’t know and I won’t know. My partner got a test because of a complication with my son’s health. He was taking him to the doctor.
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“I think this is the point that needs to be made really clearly – so many people have it and they don’t know they’ve got it.
“It’s all very well for us to think we’re fine and we can go out and about, but many of us will have it and never know it. They’ll be asymptomatic.
“You have to be aware of the fact you can have it and not know it.”
Kirstie and Ben have been in isolation with their four kids – Oscar, 11, Bay, 13, Hal, 17, and Lydia, 19 – at home in Devon, but are now coming out of that period.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-23--This Is How Coronavirus Is Affecting Single-Parent Families

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Single-parent families will be hit among the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic as they struggle to cope with the financial and practical repercussions of measures to tackle the spread of the outbreak.
While everyone’s lives have been changed by the efforts to contain Covid-19, there are extra burdens for single parents as many are facing the hurdles alone.
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Schools across the UK have closed their doors due to the outbreak and will only remain open to the children of key workers and the most vulnerable youngsters. For many single parents, that will mean they can’t work at all. For others, even if they are able to work from home, they will face additional worry and stress as they are faced with looking after their children single-handedly – and unlike couples, they won’t be able to juggle care with a partner to allow them to work.
There are around two million single parents across the UK and they make up almost a quarter of families with dependent children.
Some 90% of single parents are women – which means they will be disproportionately affected by the added pressures caused by the coronavirus crisis.
While the majority of single parents are in work – 70% – many are in lower paid or so-called unskilled jobs, or rely on income from insecure work such as zero-hour contracts.
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Many fear the impact on their finances from the virus could be devastating if they can no longer work or lose their jobs.
Mel Lock, 44, a single mother to 11-year-old Austin, has conflicting worries about her son and her 87-year-old father, who is her only source of help.
Mel, who lives in Surrey, separated from her husband 10 years ago and now runs her own cleaning business.
Her mum died in December 2018 and Mel is now a carer for her dad Brian – as well as relying on him for help with looking after Austin.
Mel told HuffPost UK the coronavirus outbreak has made her fearful of what could happen and how she and her loved ones will cope.
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Mel Lock's 87-year-old dad Brian and her 11-year-old son Austin Mel Lock
“Life has been very hard for the last 10 years and has become increasingly difficult,” she told HuffPost UK.
“I am the carer for my 87-year-old dad and I see him daily and make sure he is OK and cook for him. But my dad is also a great help to me and has been helping me with childcare and in the school holidays.
“It is a bit like he keeps an eye on Austin and Austin keeps an eye on his grandad.”
However, Mel is concerned as her dad has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). She is scared of putting him at risk and knows her son can’t stay with him now the schools have shut down.
She says her cleaning company has lost some clients this week due to coronavirus concerns but and is worried about how she will go to work at all when her son will be at home.
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“My dad has been an integral part of the running of my family and without him, I would be lost,” she said. “But I don’t want to put him at risk.
“I am also scared about what will happen if I get ill. There are two people who are dependent on me for food, shopping and care. What will I do?”
Mel Lock
With her son now being at home with the schools shutdown, Mel is also worried about the rising cost of paying for things like extra food.
“I am quite a savvy worker because I need to be.” she said. “But with everyone stockpiling food, I am concerned about food prices going up and it is difficult to find the food you want in shops.
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“I am already at breaking point financially and I am not sure how I will go to work as I can’t leave my son at home alone all day – he is too young.
“The loss of income is a huge concern, not just now but after this pandemic as I don’t know how adversely it will affect my business.”
Victoria Benson, chief executive of Gingerbread, the charity that supports single parent families, says many single parents are extremely worried about the impact of coronavirus.
The charity has seen a huge increase in the number of parents seeking support through their helpline and online forum in the past week alone.
“The wide-reaching impact of the coronavirus pandemic will have a disproportionate effect on single parents.” she said. “We already know many single parents rely on income from insecure work and we also know that they are far more likely to be facing poverty than couple-parent families.
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“The impact on their finances from the virus could be devastating if they can no longer work or if they lose their jobs.
“In addition, they are likely to be feeling isolated and overwhelmed by the worry this is causing.”
Victoria Benson, CEO of charity Gingerbread, is a single mum with four children at home Victoria Benson
Victoria is a single parent herself with four children at home, and admits she is finding things overwhelming.
She told HuffPost UK single parents are more reliant on formal childcare arrangements such as nurseries and childminders, which won’t be running during the pandemic.
“Single parents will be affected by the financial, practical and emotional implications of the coronavirus pandemic."” - Victoria Benson, CEO Gingerbread
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She said: “Single parents will be affected by the financial, practical and emotional implications of the coronavirus pandemic.
“There will be a massive impact on them if they lose their income and they don’t fully know yet what support they will get from the state.
“With their children not being at school, the impact will be greater on them as single parents as there will only be them. It will be down to them to look after the home educating of their children and go through the long lists of work they have been sent home from school with. It is very daunting.
“They will feel under a lot of pressure to be a good parent and if they are able to work from home, they will feel under pressure from their employers too and feel torn in two directions.
“A child under 10 or 11 needs parental supervision to work and as a single parent, you can’t do this and your own work.”
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Victoria Benson, CEO of charity Gingerbread, which supports single parents Victoria Benson
Victoria says there are many practical implications single parents will face – such as not being able to take turns to go out to do things like shopping, with women disproportionately affected.
“Women are more likely to be in low paid, inflexible work and having to bear the brunt of looking after the children, often with no support.
“Single parents are on their own and it is easy to feel isolated, overwhelmed and unsupported if they don’t have anyone to talk to or take over the load.”
Gingerbread is calling on employers to consider the circumstances of single parents and ensure they are paid while school closures are in force.
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The charity is also urging the government to support single parents who cannot work or those who have lost their jobs and ensure benefits claims are processed swiftly so they are not left without any income.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-23--Tubes And Trams Still Packed With Commuters Despite Warnings To Stay At Home

“Those who aren’t key workers, as defined by the government, should be banned from public transport across Britain. What we have seen this morning is shocking and utterly unacceptable, it has to stop now or still more lives will be lost.”
Transport for London (TfL) has reduced services and closed about 40 Underground stations to limit social contact, while continuing to run the network for critical workers.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-23--Dominic Raab Will Take Over If Boris Johnson Is Seriously Ill With Coronavirus – No.10

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Dominic Raab will take over at the top of the government if Boris Johnson falls ill with coronavirus and is unable to fulfil his duties as prime minister, Downing Street has confirmed.
The foreign secretary is the government’s so-called “designated survivor” and Johnson’s de facto deputy as first secretary of state, the PM’s official spokesperson said.
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The spokesperson told reporters: “The prime minister is well.
“The foreign secretary [would take over]. The foreign secretary is the first secretary of state.
“The prime minister has the power to designate responsibilities to any of his ministers but now it’s the prime minister and then the foreign secretary.”
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab arrives in Downing Street, London, for a cabinet meeting ahead. Picture dated: Wednesday March 11, 2020. EMPICS Entertainment
Meanwhile, the government is working on a package to help self-employed workers left out of pocket due to the pandemic amid criticism for failing to give them a proper safety net.
“We understand the difficult position the self employed are in,” the spokesman said.
“We have always said we will go further where we can and are actively considering further steps.
“We appreciate the urgency of the situation and officials are working around the clock to find a well targeted support package.”
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Amid criticism for not introducing a tougher lockdown as some people appear to ignore government social distancing advice, the spokesman said the government was tracking a wide range of data to analyse whether its current policy is working.
This includes monitoring use of public transport, footfall in high streets, stations, parks and public spaces.
“If people are going out and socialising when they don’t need to then they are putting people’s lives at risk,” the spokesman said.
“If information which we are gathering shows that social interaction hasn’t stopped as we hoped it would, then we will need to take further measures.”
Sign up now to get The Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing, by email.
No.10 also confirmed that the government would introduce an amendment to the emergency coronavirus bill on Monday to ensure its draconian powers have to be renewed every six months.
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The spokesman said: “The measures in the bill are temporary, proportionate to the threat we face, and will only be used when strictly necessary.
“However we recognise the importance of parliamentary scrutiny and have heard concerns about the need for periodic reviews of the powers in the bill.
“We have therefore this morning tabled a government amendment to the bill to require the House of Commons to renew the legislation every six months.
“Should the Commons decline to renew the temporary provisions, the government will be required to bring forward regulations to ensure that they expire.
“The two-year time limit for the act overall remains in place, and not all of the measures will come into force immediately.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-23--How You Can Actually Get Hold Of Toilet Roll Amid Coronavirus

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Toilet roll has become as rare as gold dust lately. You can visit five different shops and still come out empty-handed – so what’s a person to do?
There are a few ways around it – but we need to be sensible about this. Stockpiling loo roll is a definite no-no. If you’ve got 24 rolls stashed away in a cupboard, you really shouldn’t be reading this article. But if you’re down to your last few, here are some tips to help you get hold of it.
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NHS workers should head to Waitrose as all stores are now protecting batches of ‘hard to find’ and essential stock exclusively for them. This ensures they have better opportunity to access these items at all times of the day. NHS staff will also get priority checkout in all the supermarkets, either through a dedicated till or moved to the front of the queue. Other supermarkets have similar guidelines for NHS staff, so it’s worth checking them out.
cako74 via Getty Images
If you don’t work for the NHS, remember: while plenty of retailers may be out of loo roll today, that doesn’t mean they won’t have more in tomorrow, or during the week.
In other supermarkets, where only a certain number of packs can be purchased, staff might have toilet rolls behind the tills that they’ve taken off those trying to stockpile – and not yet had time to return to shelves. If you’re desperate for a pack, speak to cashiers who may be able to give you one of these.
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Another top tip is to get to the shops early. If you’re on your last roll, head to your store when it opens when they’re likely to have stock on shelves. You may have to queue, so be prepared for crowds.
Or, instead of heading to huge supermarkets, try your local corner shop, smaller nearby supermarket, or independent retailers. They’re less likely to be inundated with shoppers. Some of them get deliveries throughout the day, so if the shelves are empty, ask a staff member when they’re next due one – then head back at that time.
Alternatively, book an online supermarket shop and order a big pack of loo roll. As it stands, people are facing multiple-week waits for deliveries, so order one or two big packs and you should be sorted until the next order comes.
If you’re self-isolating, try joining Nextdoor or your local Covid Mutual Aid UK, and ask your neighbours if they can pick some up for you if they’re also going out – there are plenty of community groups doing this right now. But remember, they won’t be able to get too many as it’ll look like they’re stockpiling.
Another workaround is to sign up for a toilet roll subscription service. Brands like Cheeky Panda and Who Gives A Crap deliver bundles of toilet paper to your door. However, as you can imagine, both are low on stock. You’ll need to check back on both websites frequently – Cheeky Panda has stated it will be restocking, and Who Gives A Crap is prioritising current customers’ subscriptions. With the latter, you’re advised to add your email address on its website so they can let you know when they have more stock.
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You could also shop around online – sites like Amazon offer toilet roll bulk bundles delivered to your door.
In some stores, you can still get boxes of tissues. It might be worth getting some of these for emergencies. But remember, if all else fails, your shower is basically a stand-up bidet.
Ilyabolotov via Getty Images
Some people may resort to kitchen roll or baby wipes. While that’s absolutely fine to do, remember not to flush them. Wipes, along with other “unflushables” like nappies and sanitary products, don’t break down in pipes like toilet paper and can combine with fats, oils and grease to create fatbergs.
These are huge, solid masses which are difficult to clear and can cause raw sewage to build up and flood homes, businesses and the environment – not what you want at the best of times, let alone during a pandemic.
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Thames Water said they should be thrown in the bin. (Maybe get some bin liners in there first, though.) Matt Rimmer, Thames Water’s head of waste networks, said: “While we encourage everyone to practice good hygiene to protect against Covid-19, wet wipes and kitchen roll can be hugely damaging to our sewers and our customers can really help us by not flushing them down the toilet.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-23--Nine Things You Need To Know About Coronavirus Today

The battle against coronavirus took a major step on Monday as Boris Johnson introduced draconian measures to combat the spread of Covid-19.
The prime minister gave a televised address to the nation where he announced people should not leave their homes except for four reasons.
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It came as this summer’s Olympics in Japan looks set to become the latest major cancellation due to coronavirus, while the army is being is the be drafted in to help distribute personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontline NHS staff.
As of Monday afternoon, 335 people in the UK were believed to have died in the UK after contracting the virus.
Here’s the latest on coronavirus today:
UK on lockdown
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Boris Johnson has ordered the UK into a near-total lockdown in a bid to stem the number of deaths from the outbreak.
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In a televised address to the nation, the prime minister announced that the public will only be allowed to leave their home for:
shopping for basic necessities, as infrequently as possible
one form of exercise a day – for example a run, walk, or cycle – alone or with members of your household
any medical need, to provide care or to help a vulnerable person
travelling to and from work only where it is absolutely necessary and cannot be done from home.
Police will issue fines and break up gatherings of those who flout the rules. The crackdown will be last for at least three weeks, with a review at that point.
To further curb the spread of the virus, Johnson ordered the closure of all shops selling non-essential goods, including clothing and electronic stores, libraries, playgrounds, outdoor gyms, and places of worship.
All gatherings of more than two people in public – excluding people you live with – will be banned.
All social events will be prohibited, including weddings, baptisms and other ceremonies, but excluding funerals.
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Parks will remain open for exercise but gatherings will be dispersed.
Restaurants and businesses announce closures
Costa Coffee have announced they will temporarily close due to the Corona virus outbreak PA
The number of high-street restaurants and retailers closing their doors due to coronavirus is steadily growing, with McDonald’s, Nando’s, Subway, Costa Coffee and Card Factory all announcing the news.
On Monday morning, Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon called on all shops in the nation not providing essential items to close immediately.
“My message to shops that are still open is this and it is clear, if you are not providing essential items like food and medicines then please also close now,”she said.
Sturgeon said that building sites and hair salons should also close.
The following have announced since Sunday that they will be closing:
McDonald’s
Nando’s
Greggs
Costa
Waterstones
Card Factory
Subway
Primark
Pizza Express
TGI Fridays
Bill’s
Patisserie Valerie
Greggs will close its entire store estate from the end of business on Tuesday, saying operating a takeaway service was not enough to maintain social distancing.
To keep everyone as safe as possible we’ve made the difficult decision to close all of our shops on Tuesday 24th March. Read our full statement below: pic.twitter.com/de0QNBHkFT — Greggs (@GreggsOfficial) March 23, 2020
Nandos said in a statement on its website on Sunday that all 420 stores will shut “until further notice”, with takeaway and delivery services also suspended.
The company, which employs around 18,000 people, said it is working closely with its teams across the UK to “make sure that everybody affected is supported during the coming weeks”.
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Costa Coffee also announced it would temporarily close the majority of its 2,700 cafes from Monday at 5pm.
A statement posted on its Twitter account said it would try to keep cafes open in hospitals, with NHS staff to receive free coffee for the next two weeks.
See you all soon... With you ☕❤ pic.twitter.com/Ir0kALpAH3 — Costa Coffee (@CostaCoffee) March 23, 2020
The coffee chain said more than 16,000 members of staff at closed stores will be paid their full average weekly pay over eight weeks.
It comes after McDonald’s announced all of its restaurants in the UK and Ireland will close by 7pm on Monday to protect the safety of its employees and customers.
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The fast-food chain, which has 135,000 employees in the UK and Ireland, posted a statement about the “difficult decision” to Twitter – adding that stores will close by that time on Monday “at the latest”.
Meanwhile, KFC and Burger King remain open for takeaways, with seating areas temporarily closed.
Rail franchise agreements to be suspended
Rail franchise agreements are to be suspended to avoid train companies collapsing due to the coronavirus, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced.
Operators are being offered the chance to transfer all revenue and cost risk to the government, and be paid a small management fee to run services.
Industry body the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) said it “strongly welcomes” the proposal.
The emergency measures will be in place for an initial period of six months.
The DfT said they will “minimise disruption to the rail sector”.
'Getting the masks, getting the protective equipment to the frontline is mission critical.'
Health Secretary @MattHancock says getting NHS staff the necessary protective equipment is an immediate priority for the government. pic.twitter.com/WAkppXNqo7 — Good Morning Britain (@GMB) March 23, 2020
Allowing operators to enter insolvency would cause “significantly more disruption to passengers and higher costs to the taxpayer”, the department added.
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The DfT said passenger numbers have fallen by up to 70%, while ticket sales are down by two-thirds.
Rail timetables have been slashed because of Covid-19.
Anyone holding an Advance ticket will be able to get a refund free of charge, while administrative fees have been waived for season ticket refunds.
Teenagers arrested for ‘coughing in face’ of elderly couple
Three teenagers were arrested in Hitchin on Friday afternoon after allegedly coughing in the face of an elderly couple.
The incident led to an altercation, with a passer-by intervening.
A woman in her 70s was left with a black eye.
Three young men, 16, 18 and 19, have been arrested on suspicion of actual bodily harm, affray and criminal damage, the BBC reports.
Jury trials in England and Wales put on hold
All jury trials in England and Wales are to be put on hold as part of ongoing efforts to halt the spread of Covid-19.
In a statement on Monday, the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Burnett, said no new trials will start and that ongoing trials will be paused while arrangements are put in place so they can continue safely.
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Earlier in the week, Lord Burnett, the most senior judge in England and Wales, said no new trials expected to last three days or more would go ahead amid the deepening coronavirus crisis.
But, as pressure from members of the legal profession mounted on the government to halt court hearings, the extraordinary step of suspending all new trials was taken.
On Monday, the murder trial of PC Andrew Harper was halted after three jurors went into self-isolation.
Justice Edis announced the decision to discharge the jury and adjourn the Old Bailey trial with a “heavy heart” after three jurors went into self-isolation.
“I have taken this decision with a heavy heart because I am acutely conscious of the need of those who loved Police Constable Harper (who would have been 29 yesterday) for this process to come to a conclusion,” he said.
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“I am deeply sorry for them. I know also that the colleagues who dealt with the events of that terrible night and who have given evidence will also suffer additional distress because of what has happened.”
Teachers fear more pupils could turn up on first day of school closures
Teachers are prepared for a “challenging” situation amid concerns more pupils than expected could turn up on Monday despite schools being officially closed as the UK fights to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Parents have been warned they could be in for “difficult conversations” if they take their children to school when they have an alternative means of ensuring they are looked after.
The Department for Education has urged parents to keep their children at home unless their work is deemed “critical” to the country’s response to Covid-19 and they have no other childcare option.
Olympics looks set to be postponed
The Tokyo Olympics appear certain to be postponed until next year due to the coronavirus, as Canada and Australia said they were looking ahead to a 2021 Games, PA Media reports.
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Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe told his country’s parliament on Monday a postponement of the games would be unavoidable if the they cannot be held in a complete way because of the coronavirus impact.
Abe was commenting on the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s plan to examine the situation over the next few weeks and make a decision, which could include a postponement.
Olympics PA Media
Abe, speaking at a parliamentary session, ruled out the possibility of a cancellation, comments that fall in line with the view of the IOC.
Abe told parliament postponing the Games – due to start on July 24 – may be an option if holding the event in “complete form” became impossible.
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“If it is difficult to hold (the Games) in a complete way a decision of postponement would be unavoidable as we think the athletes’ safety is paramount,” he said.
The Olympics have never been postponed or cancelled during peacetime.
Army to help distribute PPE to frontline NHS staff
The armed forces are being drafted in to help manage and distribute supplies to frontline NHS staff battling the coronavirus pandemic.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC there have been “challenges” with the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) but that he was taking the issue “very seriously”.
NHS England said millions more items of PPE had been delivered over the last few days to hospitals, ambulance trusts and care homes among others.
To our NHS and social care workers - thank you. The nation needs you, and I will not stop working to keep you safe in this crisis. #coronavirus #StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/plUnrtuuJb — Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) March 22, 2020
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It follows a letter in the Sunday Times from almost 4,000 NHS workers who called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to “protect the lives of the life-savers” and resolve the “unacceptable” shortage of protective equipment.
The group said many medical workers are “putting their lives on the line every day” by treating coronavirus patients without appropriate protection, and they called on Johnson to ensure an adequate supply of masks, safety glasses, gloves, aprons and protective suits.
NHS England said the army would “play its part” from this week, offering personnel to “help to manage and offload supplies in busy NHS settings” and distributing PPE supplies to the front line.
It said that, if required, schools can ask for “simple evidence that the parent in question is a critical worker, such as their work ID badge or pay slip”.
The government said children of so-called key workers – including medics, police and food distribution staff – are able to attend school so they can be looked after while their parents help in the fight against the virus.
If you’re wondering how to keep your children occupied during school closures, read our list of advice here.
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Harvey Weinstein tests positive for coronavirus in prison
Former movie producer Harvey Weinstein, who is serving a prison sentence for sexual assault and rape, has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the head of the state corrections officers union.
Weinstein, 68, has been placed in isolation at Wende Correctional Facility, said Michael Powers, president of the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association.
Powers said he learned that the test came back positive on Sunday morning and is concerned about the corrections officers, who he said lack proper protective equipment. Several staff have been quarantined, Powers said.
Weinstein arrived at Wende Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison east of Buffalo, New York, on Wednesday after being housed at New York City’s Rikers Island jail, Reuters reports.
He was sentenced to 23 years in prison on March 11 for sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi and raping Jessica Mann, a onetime aspiring actress.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-23--Loose Women And Lorraine To Cease Broadcasting Due To Coronavirus

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Loose Women and Lorraine are to cease broadcasting amid the coronavirus pandemic.
ITV has confirmed that both shows will be off air as of Monday for the foreseeable future.
Loose Women's Andrea McLean, Denise Welch, Carol McGiffin and Jane Moore S Meddle/ITV/Shutterstock
Instead, presenter Lorraine Kelly will join Piers Morgan each weekday morning for an extended edition of Good Morning Britain from 9am to 10am.
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Loose Women – which had been airing without a studio audience amid the coronavirus outbreak – will now be replaced by repeat episodes of the lunchtime chat show.
However, ITV said it aims to keep Good Morning Britain and This Morning on air for as long as possible, and explained the cuts to its daytime programming were made to “minimise the number of staff travelling in and out of our studios and working together on shift at any one time”.
Lorraine's ITV show has been cancelled Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
The broadcaster said in a statement: “We’re focusing our efforts on providing to viewers the latest news on the rapidly changing situation which aims to offer some stability and continuity in all our lives whilst so many of us are at home right now.
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“That’s why we have taken this tough decision to protect our GMB News programme in the morning and keep This Morning on air for as long as possible.
“We have been reducing our crew numbers over the last week and these changes will enable us to reduce them further and help us build further resilience with the aim of Daytime content continuing to air for as long as possible.
“Safeguarding the well-being of everyone involved with our programmes is our priority and in this dynamically developing situation we will obviously continue to review these new arrangements on a day by day basis and follow at all times the latest PHE and WHO guidelines.”
It was previously reported that as a result of the pandemic, both soaps would be cutting the number of episodes aired every week.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-24--45 Tweets From Parents About Social Distancing With Kids

Teachers, many of you have posted that I could come to you for help. Thank you! I’m trying to figure out the perfect home school schedule and I need advice. What time should I pencil in my first martini, is it usually before or after morning snack?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-24--How To Prioritise Your Cupboard Food To Make It Last Longer

As we’re all hunkering down and self-quarantining to protect ourselves and the community from the coronavirus outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends having at least a two-week food supply on hand.
So, you’ve probably made a couple of trips to the supermarket to stockpile some necessities. With a lot of that shopping being done in a panic and stores running out of items, you may have ended up buying things not usually on your food list or overloaded on some of your usual staples.
“Even during a pandemic, it’s possible that people buy foods that they think they should eat instead of foods they want to eat, which can lead to unnecessary food waste,” said Alyssa Pike, registered dietitian and manager of nutrition communications at the International Food Information Council Foundation.
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Keeping track of what’s in your fridge and cupboard and learning which foods to prioritise will keep you from wasting too much food and help you make do ― and, even make some delicious meals ― with what you already have. Here’s how.
Practice the “first in, first out” rule
Professional kitchens abide by the first in, first out, or FIFO, rule. That means storing older foods in the front of your refrigerator or cupboard, and newly purchased items behind them, in the back. This is a good practice for home kitchens, too, said Celine Beitchman, director of nutrition at the Institute of Culinary Education.
“You don’t want to just keep shoving groceries into wherever you can fit them,” she said. “You want to have some sense of organisation as to where you put them.”
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Place fresh fruits and vegetables in the easiest-to-grab spot in the refrigerator, along with milk and other dairy with the soonest expiration dates. Arrange canned goods, pasta and other cupboard items so that those with the soonest “use by” or “sell by” dates are front and centre.
“We know that whatever is at the very front of the line is the thing that we should use first, and what’s behind that is the thing that we’ve maybe just bought,” Beitchman said. “So, we’re always kind of moving inventory around so that we’ve got that FIFO going.”
Eat fresh produce first
Any fresh fruits and vegetables should be used first, said Kris Sollid, registered dietitian and senior director of nutrition communications at the International Food Information Council Foundation.
“Try using the ripest first, and map out a schedule for using the others as close to their peak ripeness as possible,” he said.
Storing fruits and vegetables properly, with leafy greens in the refrigerator and onions and garlic in a dry, dark space, for example, will extend their shelf life.
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But just because something starts to look wilted or mushy doesn’t mean it should be thrown away. Freezing or cooking produce can make it last longer.
Over-ripe bananas turning brown can be stored in the freezer or used in smoothies or baked goods, Sollid said.
Greens can be blanched, and vegetables, like tomatoes, squashes and carrots, can be roasted. Toss cooked veggies into soups or casseroles, or freeze them, Beitchman said.
Even better, make a soup or casserole with the fresh vegetables. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for three to four days, or portion the meals out and freeze for up to three months.
FIFO goes for meat and dairy, too
Practice FIFO with meat and dairy, Beitchman said. Keep track of use by and sell buy dates and, like produce, consider freezing or cooking to make them last longer.
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Uncooked meat can be stored in the freezer for four to 12 months, and cooked meat for two to three months, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Milk, cheese and other dairy also freeze well.
Beitchman suggests portioning everything out first ― cut cheese into slices or chunks, freeze milk in ice cube trays and freeze meat in serving sizes that make sense for your family.
Another option for using up milk and cheese nearing its shelf life: Make a béchamel sauce. The versatile cream sauce can be used in mac and cheese, lasagna or other casseroles.
Keep up with expiration dates of cupboard items
After you’ve made use of fresh produce, meats and dairy, look to the freezer next. Frozen foods, whether store-bought or homemade, are usually more perishable than canned foods or other cupboard items, said Claudia Sidoti, principal chef at HelloFresh.
“But, it depends on the dates, so that is the most important thing to check,” she said, urging home cooks to put the date on anything they freeze.
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Date labels on packaged foods can be confusing. They’re usually not based on science and usually offer a guide for when a food is at its best, not necessarily that something is unsafe to eat.
Cupboard items may still be safe to eat even if they’re recently expired, Sidoti said. If something looks or smells off, or you’re doubtful, throw it away.
You can always cook anything that’s about to expire, and don’t forget items like flour and grains also have expiration dates.
“Cook up the pasta and store it in a Ziploc bag and then stir into soups, or make a crazy mixed-shape mac and cheese and portion it up and freeze it,” Sidoti said.
Get creative with what you have on hand
You may end up with a random collection of ingredients, so getting creative in the kitchen is a must. Combining shelf-stable items like beans, pasta, rice and canned foods with fresh and frozen foods is the best way to make balanced recipes and use what you have in stock, Sollid said.
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Making soups, chilli or casseroles lets you combine different ingredients in unique ways, Sidoti said. Check out Pinterest, Google recipes for the ingredients you have or refer to the cookbooks collecting dust on your bookshelves for ideas.
“If you look at cookbooks from the ’50s, when casseroles and bakes were popular, it’s kind of crazy to see what combos of canned ingredients home cooks were using,” Sidoti said. “With time on your hands, get creative, look up ways to use your ingredient that you are struggling to find a use for. Have fun with it and take some risks.”
Swap out ingredients and experiment with dried herbs and flavours, like honey or maple syrup, to use up foods and keep from getting bored with eating the same dishes over and over, Beitchman said.
Even while you’re hunkering down, try to eat as healthy as possible with multiple food groups and lots of fruits and vegetables, whether they’re fresh, frozen or canned, Pike said.
“Make the best choices you can based on what’s available, what you enjoy and will actually eat, what’s convenient and within your budget,” she said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-24--Linda Lusardi’s Husband Says She Has ‘Turned Corner’ After ‘Cruel, Relentless, Dark’ Coronavirus Tak

Linda Lusardi’s Husband Says She Has ‘Turned Corner’ After ‘Cruel, Relentless, Dark’ Coronavirus Takes Her To ‘Death’s Door’

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Linda Lusardi’s husband Sam Kane has revealed the former Loose Women star has “turned a corner’ after being “taken to death’s door’ by coronavirus.
On Monday evening, the 61-year-old former Page 3 model – who remains in hospital – praised the NHS but admitted she still has “a way to go” until she’s made a full recovery.
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Linda Lusardi Empics Entertainment
“Just wanted to say thank you for all your kind words,” she tweeted. “My @samkane1968 went home from hospital today to carry on recovering.
“We both tested positive with the virus. I still have a way to go yet The NHS staff have been amazing. Their kindness keeps making me cry. Love to you all.”
Just wanted to say thank you for all your kind words. My @samkane1968 went home from hospital today to carry on recovering. We both tested positive with the virus. I still have a way to go yet The NHS staff have been amazing Their kindness keeps making me cry. Love to you all — Linda Lusardi (@lusardiofficial) March 23, 2020
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Sam previously urged people to self-isolate, describing the virus as a “cruel, vile, remorseless, relentless, dark sickness’.
Posting on Facebook, he said: “I can’t stress enough that this is not ‘just a flu bug’. I’ve watched this take my girl to death’s door.
“I’ve felt it take me there. It’s a cruel, vile, remorseless, relentless, dark sickness. It was like three hands. One that’s strangling you. One pushing your face down as it does. The other one ripping your heart out of your chest and it just doesn’t stop... for days.
“You’re totally helpless and in its grasp. It’s nothing like flu.”
He then pleaded for everyone to follow the government’s advice to practice social distancing.
“Please stop going out,” he wrote. “Passing this around will mean it just takes longer till we’re back to normal. Please stay safe people. Two weeks away from anyone else outside your family should see this gone. It’s that simple. Please stay in.”
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The day before Sam confirmed he had tested positive for Covid-19, but had no idea where he and Linda had contracted the virus.
Linda Lusardi and her husband Sam Kane PA
“Well. It’s official. I am positive for CoronaVirus,” he wrote. “I don’t know if I’m happy or gutted. Probably a bit of both. I hope it’s a one time thing coz I don’t want this again.”
He added: “The NHS staff have been beyond incredible. The work and care they are giving at the front line with so little resources is astounding. They’re fearless. The debt of gratitude I owe them for getting my girl back to a sense of normality will be owed for the rest of my life.
“Please take care of yourselves. Isolating is the only way now. This has to be stopped and only we can do it. Take care of yourselves. Stay safe. Xxx”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-24--US Man Dies After Self-Medicating With Chloroquine In Attempt To Prevent Coronavirus

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An Arizona man has died and his wife was in critical condition after consuming chloroquine phosphate, a product used to clean fish tanks that shares an active ingredient with drugs touted by President Donald Trump as a possible treatment for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
The man’s wife, who has not been named publicly, told NBC News that she and her husband decided to ingest the aquarium product after hearing Trump on TV refer to two anti-malaria drugs — chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine — as a potential “game-changer” in the fight against COVID-19.
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“I saw it sitting on the back shelf and thought, ‘hey, isn’t that the stuff they’re talking about on TV?’” the woman told NBC.
NBC: Did you see the President's press conference? Where did you hear about--
Patient: Yeah. Yeah, we saw his press conference. It was on a lot, actually.
NBC: And then did you did you seek out Chloroquine?
Patient: I had it in the house because I used to have koi fish. https://t.co/C8EiTQQ3r1 pic.twitter.com/QgmElANCEG — Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) March 24, 2020
The couple, both in their 60s, had not been diagnosed with COVID-19, but the woman said they were worried about contracting the disease and had taken the aquarium product as a preventative measure.
The product they consumed contained the same active ingredient as the two anti-malaria drugs Trump referred to — but unlike the medicine taken by humans, the product they ingested is used to get rid of algae and a parasite that causes a condition known as white spot disease in fish. According to The New York Times, prices for the aquarium product “have spiked during the coronavirus pandemic.”
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Banner Health, a hospital system based in Phoenix, Arizona, said the couple experienced distressing side effects within 30 minutes of consuming the product and were admitted to one of their hospitals.
“I started vomiting,” the woman told NBC News. “My husband started developing respiratory problems and wanted to hold my hand.”
The man died shortly after arriving at the hospital from cardiac arrest. His wife was initially under critical care, but the Times said her condition has since stabilised and she’s expected to make a full recovery.
Banner Health issued a strong warning to the public to not ingest “inappropriate medications and household products,” including chloroquine, “to prevent or treat COVID-19.”
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“Given the uncertainty around COVID-19, we understand that people are trying to find new ways to prevent or treat this virus, but self-medicating is not the way to do so,” Dr Daniel Brooks, medical director of Banner Health’s Poison and Drug Information Center, said in a statement. “The last thing that we want right now is to inundate our emergency departments with patients who believe they found a vague and risky solution that could potentially jeopardise their health.”
Chloroquine, an old drug for the treatment of malaria, has shown some anecdotal efficacy against COVID-19; but medical experts have warned the public to not self-medicate with the drug, which is known to have serious side effects. Overdoses of the drug can be fatal. Barcroft Media via Getty Images
It’s never a good idea for humans to consume aquarium products as medicine.
The Smithsonian magazine warned the public in 2017 against taking fish antibiotics to treat their own illnesses after noting the practice was a trend that stretched back at least to the 1990s.
The Arizona widow urged people this week to learn from her and her husband’s mistake.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-24--Britain's Got Talent 2020 Live Shows Postponed, But Auditions To Air As Planned

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The plans for this year’s Britain’s Got Talent have been confirmed, following the outbreak of coronavirus.
A BGT representative has explained that the upcoming auditions, which were pre-recorded earlier this year, will still air as planned “in the next few weeks”.
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However, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the live shows that usually follow will be postponed until later in the year.
The Britain's Got Talent judging panel will all be back for this year's series ITV
The spokesperson explained: “We have been working with the brilliant production teams at Thames and Syco to find a way of making the live finals work, which were due to be broadcast at the end of May.
“However, in light of the latest government health guidelines and in line with our priority of safeguarding the well-being of everyone involved in our programmes, production of the live shows cannot go ahead as planned. The live finals will therefore be broadcast later in the year.”
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Last year’s series of BGT was won by war veteran Colin Thackery, the show’s oldest ever winner.
Months later, BGT also aired the all-stars series Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions, which saw duo Twist & Pulse crowned winners.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-24--Scarlett Moffatt Reveals She Used To Call Samaritans With Fake Name At Height Of Online Trolling

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Scarlett Moffatt has revealed she “often” used to phone the Samaritans after facing a wave of online abuse.
The former Gogglebox star has repeatedly spoken out about the trolling she has endured during her time in the public eye, and the effect that this has had on her.
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In a new interview with Grazia magazine, Scarlett explained that she “could never have imagined” how hard it would be for her, and the scrutiny she would face, as a “woman in the public eye”.
“I thought celebrities lived in a different world, I took everything the tabloids printed as gospel, and I barely even used social media,” she told the magazine, about her life before fame.
“But, in 2017, three years after I’d been catapulted into the public eye, I was in the darkest place of my life, feeling completely alone and often ringing Samaritans when things got really bad.”
Scarlett Moffatt Ian West - PA Images via Getty Images
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Scarlett joined Twitter in 2014, shortly after joining Gogglebox, and said she immediately became inundated with “really horrible” messages branding her “ugly, fat and stupid”.
She recalled: “The more popular I was getting on TV and in the press, the more unpopular I was getting on social media.
“I was being trolled way more, with people attacking the way I look, speak, dress – you name it.
“I remember after the second episode of Saturday Night Takeaway aired, there were thousands of comments about how bad my teeth were. That got to me most, because I was so insecure about my teeth as a child.”
The I’m A Celebrity winner said that as things “spiralled out of control” for her, she would “ring the Samaritans, give a fake name and rant for 15 minutes”.
“Talking to someone who didn’t know me or judge me helped,” Scarlett added.
“Eventually, I broke down in front of my mum and told her how I was feeling. I ended up seeing a therapist for a year.”
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Grazia/PA
Earlier this month, Scarlett shared a defiant message of body-positivity in response to the trolling she’s faced.
“2020 is the year I feel like a boss & I’m not afraid to say it,” she wrote. “I’m taking ownership for my body and not apologising to anyone who thinks my looks aren’t ‘good enough for them’.”
Read Scarlett’s full interview in the new issue of Grazia.
Useful websites and helplines:


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-24--Taylor Swift And Kim Kardashian Break Silence After More Of *That* Kanye West Phone Call Leaks Onlin

Taylor Swift And Kim Kardashian Break Silence After More Of *That* Kanye West Phone Call Leaks Online

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Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian have both broken their silence after more of the “leaked” phone call between the singer and Kanye West resurfaced over the weekend.
But before we get to that, a quick history lesson.
In 2016, Taylor and Kanye had finally reached a truce in what was already one of the most famous feuds in music history.
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However, things took a downward turn when Kanye released his track Famous, which opens with the line: “For all my southside n****s that know me best, I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex – why? I made that bitch famous.”
Kanye and Taylor in 2015, months before their feud reignited Matt Sayles/Invision/AP
At the time, it was claimed that Taylor had given her sign-off for the lyric, to which her spokesperson insisted: “Kanye did not call for approval, but to ask Taylor to release his single Famous on her Twitter account.
“She declined and cautioned him about releasing a song with such a strong misogynistic message. Taylor was never made aware of the actual lyric, ‘I made that bitch famous’.”
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Following this, Kim shared a number of snippets from the conversation on her Snapchat page, appearing to show that Taylor did approve certain lyrics.
The singer quickly responded to this on Twitter saying: “Where is the video of Kanye telling me he was going to call me ‘that bitch’ in his song? It doesn’t exist because it never happened.
“You don’t get to control someone’s emotional response to being called ‘that bitch’ in front of the entire world.”
Taylor with Kanye and Kim at the 2015 Grammys Larry Busacca via Getty Images
“Of course I wanted to like the song. I wanted to believe Kanye when he told me that I would love the song. I wanted us to have a friendly relationship.
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“He promised to play the song for me, but he never did. While I wanted to be supportive of Kanye on the phone call, you cannot ‘approve’ a song you haven’t heard.”
“Being falsely painted as a liar when I was never given the full story or played any part of the song is character assassination,” she added, before delivering the infamous closing line: “I would very much like to be excluded from this narrative, one that I have never asked to be a part of, since 2009.”
Well, it took four years, but an unedited version of the conversation leaked over the weekend, and it appears that while Kanye did ask Taylor to debut Famous on her Twitter account, it looks like there still isn’t any footage of him telling her about the line “I made that bitch famous”.
On Monday night, Taylor spoke about the leak on Instagram, while encouraging her followers to donate to the organisation Feeding America.
Taylor at last month's NME Awards Dave J Hogan via Getty Images
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“Instead of answering those who are asking how I feel about the video footage that leaked, proving that I was telling the truth the whole time about *that call* (you know, the one that was illegally recorded, that somebody edited and manipulated in order to frame me and put me, my family, and fans through hell for 4 years)… SWIPE up to see what really matters,” she wrote.
“The World Health Organisation and Feeding America are some of the organisations I’ve been donating to. If you have the ability to, please join me in donating during this crisis. Swipe up.”
Hours later, Kim responded with a string of tweets, lamenting that she felt compelled to speak out “given the suffering millions of real victims are facing right now”.
Kim wrote: “I didn’t feel the need to comment a few days ago, and I’m actually really embarrassed and mortified to be doing it right now, but because she continues to speak on it, I feel I’m left without a choice but to respond because she is actually lying.
“To be clear, the only issue I ever had around the situation was that Taylor lied through her publicist who stated that ‘Kanye never called to ask for permission…’. They clearly spoke so I let you all see that. Nobody ever denied the word ‘bitch’ was used without her permission.”
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Kim and Kanye at an Oscars after party last month Ian West - PA Images via Getty Images
The reality star added: “At the time when they spoke the song had not been fully written yet, but as everyone can see in the video, she manipulated the truth of their actual conversation in her statement when her team said she ‘declined and cautioned him about releasing a song with such a strong misogynistic message’.
“The lie was never about the word ‘bitch’, It was always whether there was a call or not and the tone of the conversation.”
.@taylorswift13 has chosen to reignite an old exchange - that at this point in time feels very self-serving given the suffering millions of real victims are facing right now. — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) March 24, 2020
I didn’t feel the need to comment a few days ago, and I’m actually really embarrassed and mortified to be doing it right now, but because she continues to speak on it, I feel I’m left without a choice but to respond because she is actually lying. — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) March 24, 2020
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To be clear, the only issue I ever had around the situation was that Taylor lied through her publicist who stated that “Kanye never called to ask for permission...” They clearly spoke so I let you all see that. Nobody ever denied the word “bitch” was used without her permission. — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) March 24, 2020
At the time when they spoke the song had not been fully written yet, but as everyone can see in the video, she manipulated the truth of their actual conversation in her statement when her team said she — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) March 24, 2020
“declined and cautioned him about releasing a song with such a strong misogynistic message.”
The lie was never about the word bitch, It was always whether there was a call or not and the tone of the conversation. — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) March 24, 2020
I never edited the footage (another lie) - I only posted a few clips on Snapchat to make my point and the full video that recently leaked doesn’t change the narrative. — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) March 24, 2020
To add, Kanye as an artist has every right to document his musical journey and process, just like she recently did through her documentary. — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) March 24, 2020
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Kanye has documented the making of all of his albums for his personal archive, however has never released any of it for public consumption & the call between the two of them would have remained private or would have gone in the trash had she not lied & forced me to defend him. — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) March 24, 2020
Kim also insisted this would be the last she had to say on the matter “because honestly, nobody cares”.
“Sorry to bore you all with this,” Kim concluded. “I know you are all dealing with more serious and important matters.”
Taylor’s publicist Tree Paine later said the following:
I’m Taylor’s publicist and this is my UNEDITED original statement. Btw, when you take parts out, that’s editing.
P.S. who did you guys piss off to leak that video? 😂😂😂 https://t.co/AtMGUp3t24 pic.twitter.com/EjGDwAdL6O — Tree Paine (@treepaine) March 24, 2020
In the accompanying music video for Famous, Taylor is depicted as a nude mannequin lying in bed with Kanye, alongside a string of other naked figures, including Kim Kardashian, Caitlyn Jenner, Donald Trump (who was then running for US president) and Rihanna, who features on the track.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-24--Michael Gove U-Turns, Saying Children Of Separated Couples Can Visit Both Parents After All

PA
Michael Gove was forced into a rapid U-turn on Tuesday morning after wrongly telling separated parents their children would not be able to travel between their homes during the coronavirus lockdown.
Speaking to ITV’s GMB programme, the Cabinet Office minister said children should “stay in the household they are currently in”.
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“We should not have children moving between households,” he said when questioned about what parents who do not live together should do.
Gove added: “I know this is incredibly difficult, this is a time of – an emotionally fraught time and a difficult one.
“Wherever possible, if there can be contact through social media or non-physical contact then that should carry on.”
But the senior minister quickly moved to clarify his comments, which were at odds with the official government guidance.
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I wasn’t clear enough earlier, apologies. To confirm - while children should not normally be moving between households, we recognise that this may be necessary when children who are under 18 move between separated parents. This is permissible & has been made clear in the guidance https://t.co/Y3DTdIFo4M — Michael Gove (@michaelgove) March 24, 2020
Gove also later told BBC Radio 4′s Today programme: “One of the things that is clear, if it is the case, that children under the age of 18 need to move from one parent’s home to another parent’s home, that is allowed.”
Boris Johnson last night ordered people only to leave their homes under a list of “very limited purposes”.
The prime minister also dramatically banned public gatherings of more than two people and ordered the closure of non-essential shops.
In an address to the nation from Downing Street, Johnson ordered people only to leave their homes to shop for basic necessities “as infrequently as possible”, and to only perform one form of exercise a day.
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They can also seek medical help, provide care to a vulnerable person or travel to work if “absolutely necessary”, under the measures to last until at least Easter Monday.
“That’s all – these are the only reasons you should leave your home,” he said.
“You should not be meeting friends. If your friends ask you to meet, you should say no. You should not be meeting family members who do not live in your home.”
A failure to follow the rules could see police dispersing gatherings and imposing fines, which government officials said would start at £30.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-24--Watch: Here’s The Latest On Coronavirus

Watch: Here’s The Latest On Coronavirus

Watch: Here’s The Latest On Coronavirus - Tuesday 24 March
The World Health Organisation has reiterated pleas for people to stay at home to help tackle the spread of coronavirus, as the number of cases has surpassed 380,000 worldwide. This comes as the UK enforces strict limits on leaving homes, South Africa goes into a 21-day lockdown, and stocks continue to fall on Wall Street.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-24--Coronavirus Has Left My Foodbank More Busy, And More In Need, Than Ever

Courtesy of the author HuffPost UK
A crisis will usually draw out both the best and the worst sides of humanity. From grown men barging elderly women out of the way in a supermarket aisle so they can grab hold of the last tin of soup, to single mums offering lifts to older folk who can’t now get their shopping delivered – the coronavirus pandemic is exposing the self-centred and revealing the compassionate.
At Hastings Foodbank, we are experiencing both. Unnecessary stockpiling has caused us to be desperately short of some of the essential items we give to people trapped in poverty. Like the supermarkets, our shelves are bare when it comes to long-life milk, tinned vegetables, and at least half a dozen other items we usually give out as part of a nutritionally-balanced food parcel.
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We are trying everything within our means to replenish our stocks, knowing that the need is set to rise over the coming weeks. We are three or four weeks behind London in terms of the Covid-19 outbreak, but as an already deprived seaside town with a precarious economy, we have already seen people turning to us because coronavirus has left them unemployed.
“I have never thought I’d need to come to a foodbank” is something we’re already hearing more frequently. It came first of all from a man who worked in the leisure industry until a few days ago, but was laid off when we were advised to keep away from restaurants, pubs and theatres. With pre-school children, he was beside himself wondering how he will cope.
A few days later, the same words again: this time from a woman whose lucrative self-employment – a media career of 20 years – abruptly came to an end last week, when all of her future bookings and appointments were cancelled overnight. With a large mortgage, teenage children and no prospects of future work, she said: “I always drop a can of food in the basket at the supermarket, but I’ve never imagined I’d need to ask for your help.”
“We have also already seen people at our foodbank who are there because their children are off school, and they cannot feed them”
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We have also already seen people at our foodbank who are there because their children are off school, and they cannot feed them – but this isn’t just about food. On Friday I had a few awkward conversations with teenage girls about which sanitary products they need and cannot get hold of. I wonder if those who have stockpiled tampons think through the impact of prioritising their own needs so resolutely.
Our foodbank is coping too with the impact on volunteers. A huge number of ours are in high risk categories, so are not coming in – but others from the church and local agencies who are fit and healthy have stepped in so we’re covered. While we’re worried for our regular volunteers and hoping they will stay healthy, we’re also encouraged by those who are turning up to help. When there’s so much to feel despondent about, this is heart-warming.
We are also coping with the proximity issue: our foodbank manager has completely reconfigured our set-up so that we can keep both volunteers and clients as safe as possible. Instead of our usual welcoming atmosphere with hot drinks and cakes, as well as a friendly chat, we are now asking clients to wait outside in our car park, at a safe distance from us and from each other, while we get food ready for them. Volunteers are separated into teams – those in the packing area stay there, depositing bags of food on the opposite side of some white tape stuck to the floor when they’re ready, so that those in the distribution area can pick them up and move them to the point from which clients can take them. We usually pride ourselves on how friendly and caring we are. Now keeping everyone separate is key.
But the hardest thing for us at the moment is the lack of food. And this is made harder still because we know that there would be enough, if people would stop buying so much for their own households.
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But at the same time, a national crisis such as this really does bring out the best too. After putting out on social media appeals for the food we urgently need, we saw family after family, business after business, donating at the end of last week, even children off school bringing in a couple of tins for us. One guy brought a whole box of ‘Who Gives A Crap?’ loo roll, while TK Maxx gave us their perishable goods. Schools that were collecting for us in the run up to Easter sent what they have gathered so far. At a time when we could be weighed down with stress and concern about the needs around us, this generosity is buoying our spirits and spurring us on.
“We need to fix our eyes on the things that give us hope, on the kindness and generosity.”
All around us is anxiety and worry. The images of crowds outside supermarkets at 7am breed panic. So the small acts of kindness serve as an important antidote to fear. They fill us with hope. And that is going to be increasingly vital over the coming weeks.
At the national charity Jubilee+, where I work, we’ve been concerned about this for months. Last November we published a booklet called A Deepening Crisis? because, while some have heralded the end of austerity and brighter times ahead, we have had a strong sense through our work with churches across the country that things might be about to get harder for those trapped in poverty.
Of course, none of us could have foreseen what is now happening. But what now looks inevitable for the UK is that some who have never known hardship – like the woman with the glistening media career – will be plunged into it, while those who were already in poverty will be pushed deeper into it and trapped there.
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That’s why we need to fix our eyes on the things that give us hope, on the kindness and generosity that resists the urge to stockpile. On the compassion that causes us to reach out and help each other where we can. Churches like mine may have had to close their doors for Sunday services, but we are keeping our projects that serve the most vulnerable open, and we will continue to do so.
Coronavirus will pass. The commitment of churches across the country to show compassion to those swept into poverty will not.
Natalie Williams is as head of communications and policy at Jubilee+. Follow her on Twitter at @natwillnatter
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--2020-03-24--The Coronavirus Made Me Realise How Lucky I Am To Have My Online Friends

Prakasit Khuansuwan / EyeEm via Getty Images "In a world that we’re now experiencing mostly virtually, is there really a difference between the friends we make online and the friends we once had in the so-called real world?"
Before the coronavirus arrived – back when I used to be able to leave my house – I had my ‘real-life friends’ and my ‘online friends’, two categorically different groups of people in my mind. My real-life friends were the people I didn’t necessarily see every single day, but with whom I had regularly shared physical experiences at some point in my life: dinners, movies, trips to exotic places. These were people who had seen the hardware of my life, so they knew me from the inside out. I measured that qualitatively. For me, time spent together, physically, had equated to a certain brand of intimate knowledge.
Friendships are sacred to me. I have been a close friend with many of the same people for the majority of my life and most of those friendships span decades – some over 30 years. We have shared in countless joys and losses. We have seen one another succeed and fail. We have watched each other wed and divorce. We have been there for each other as we’ve buried parents.
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In addition to those friends I’ve made and kept from childhood, college and my days working in restaurants, I also have a large network of online friends – people I share political jokes with or with whom I talk about topics as varied and personal as food or parenting. Online, you can curate your passions, separate your individual interests and make choices. You can find the people who are most like you, or who live most like you, and there’s a certain freedom and intimacy that comes with that understanding.
There are all kinds of niche communities on the internet, and some can help us express our true selves in a way that we might not be able to do often – or maybe even ever – in the real world. That’s partly why I love being online: The internet is a place to air grievances, to be funny, to express knee-jerk reactions. It allows me to commiserate with others who are like me and to offer up pieces of my life and myself to people who really get what I am putting out there while sharing parts of myself in ways I might not otherwise in my offline life.
Before the events related to the coronavirus unfolded over the past few weeks, I never realised how important my cyber friendships really were, or what they were actually offering me. Sure, I appreciated, at least in a surface way, what I was gaining from them: They provided a sounding board, for one. When my husband didn’t want to hear me complaining about the primary election anymore, my internet friends were always around to listen. When my friends without kids didn’t want to know about my son’s latest diaper blowout, there was Facebook group specifically for moms that did. When I made a picture-perfect chicken that no one in my offline life seemed all that interested in, someone from my internet community was there to share in my culinary triumph.
Still, I mostly saw these virtual relationships as secondary to my “real” friendships. I wasn’t about to grab dinner with the guy messaging me about how he, too, couldn’t stand Bernie Sanders. But it was nice to hear the voice of someone who agreed and shared my own thoughts. Despite how much I was receiving from my online community, I failed to recognise that I was building genuine relationships, and that I was gaining much more than just an opportunity to blow off steam.
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I am now essentially a shut-in, since I am considered high-risk for serious coronavirus symptoms because I suffer from asthma, lifelong respiratory issues, and two recent bouts of bronchitis, from which I am still in recovery, and I also live in a highly infected state and community. And because of the sudden and unexpected inability to socialise offline, I have come to realise how important my online community is – and always has been – to me. In short, my online community is my community.
“I’m realising how much of myself I gave to [my online friends], even before most of us were self-isolating, and how much they’ve given me over the years and continue to give me in my current time of need.”
I used to think that online life, however immediately gratifying, was nothing but surface tension – an incomplete or even dishonest version of reality. In truth, I talk to my online friends every day now – some of them more than my “real life” friends – because there’s no longer anywhere to go, and because I’m realising how much of myself I gave to them, even before most of us were self-isolating, and how much they’ve given me over the years and continue to give me in my current time of need.
My online friends and I may not – and may never – meet offline, but I don’t see my college friends or childhood friends in the flesh all that often and I don’t know when I will again. When you think about it, in a world that we’re now experiencing mostly virtually, is there really a difference between the friends we make online and the friends we once had in the so-called real world? What’s more, as we all look for new and more ways to be intimate at a time when we’re increasingly being sealed off from each other, our virtual friends are even more important than they were just a few weeks ago. These relationships that we’ve formed and grown via our computers and phones may be just the thing that helps us survive this unprecedented and difficult time.
Online friendships, of course, don’t necessarily sprout from the same shared experiences, like childhood or college, that offline friendships do. There’s no physical-world history there, so to some people that might mean these internet relationships are less complex or less worthy. But in the age of the coronavirus, everything is complex, and at the same time so much is simple. I’ve now discovered that what truly matters is being known and seen and understood by someone, and we can do all of that virtually. Sure, it may take a bit more work, and it certainly isn’t the same as being in the room with someone, but connecting online can be amazingly therapeutic and it can offer us some of the things we need right now to be a little (or a lot) less lonely.
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And maybe, when we’re holed up with no one but ourselves, the most important thing is truly how well we’re able to connect with others.
I’m also learning new ways to communicate and be vulnerable and to express myself because of my online relationships, which in turn broaden and deepen all of my experiences – virtual or not. Even better, these are tools that I can use with my “real life” friends, who are now, it should be said, online friends, too.
Ultimately, my online friends are my real friends. I may never go to their weddings or their parents’ funerals. There may never be a long and complicated history, the way there might be with the offline friends who have known me longer and, in some ways, better. But the whole world is changing and strangers are becoming friends and friends are becoming strangers. And I am seeing the evolution myself, as the people I may have once thought of as less important or less intimately acquainted with me become just as relevant as the people who have held a stake and a place in my everyday life.
Except there really is no more ‘everyday life’ – not for me and not for anyone else. My online community is as real and as valuable and offers me many of the same things as the friendships I’ve had offline for 30 years. It’s too bad it took a pandemic to teach me this, but regardless, I’m glad it did. I’m grateful to have more friends – no matter where or how they exist – to offer me comfort, guidance and laughter during these uncertain times.
Hannah Selinger is a freelance food, wine and travel writer. This article first appeared on HuffPost US Personal.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-03-24--Five Things You Need To Know About Coronavirus Today

The latest official figures show:
8,077 people in the UK have tested positive for coronavirus
422 people had died as of Tuesday.
Here’s what you need to know about coronavirus today:
We’re in lockdown – here’s what that actually means
From today, people in the UK must stay at home, and there are only four reasons why you should leave your home.
The first is shopping for basic necessities , which includes food and medicine and must be “as infrequent as possible”
, which includes food and medicine and must be “as infrequent as possible” You can also leave to take one form of exercise a day , such as a run, walk, or cycle. But it is restricted to exercising alone or with members of your household.
, such as a run, walk, or cycle. But it is restricted to exercising alone or with members of your household. The third reason is a medical need , or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person (this includes moving children under 18 between their parents’ homes).
, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person (this includes moving children under 18 between their parents’ homes). Finally, travelling to and from work is acceptable, but only “where this absolutely cannot be done from home”.
The guidance is explicit that these are “exceptions”, and even then people must keep it to a minimum and ensure they are two-metres apart from anyone outside of their household.
Tens of thousands of non-essential shops are to close. Other premises being shuttered are libraries, playgrounds, outdoor gyms and places of worship.
Hotels and campsites will now join pubs, cafes and restaurants in being closed to slow the disease’s spread.
And, while parks will remain open for exercise, all social events including weddings and baptisms will be stopped. Funerals, however, can continue.
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A snap poll by YouGov found “crazy high” levels of public support for the measures.
NEW SNAP POLLING:
The public overwhelming back the measures announced by the Prime Minister last night.
➡Support: 93% (including 76% who strongly support)
➡Oppose: 4%
➡Don’t know: 3%
These are crazy high levels of support.https://t.co/68WcoAJj5M — Chris Curtis (@chriscurtis94) March 24, 2020
And if you’re wondering how to get through it - here’s some advice from people living in countries where lockdowns have been in place for some time already.
The Tokyo Olympics are off
The Tokyo Olympic Games has been delayed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a joint statement, the International Olympic Committee and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said that the Olympics would be rescheduled “to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021” in a bid to protect athletes and fans.
“The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present,” the statement said.
Police deploy 500 cops to enforce non-essential travel ban
British Transport Police tonight ordered 500 officers to patrol the rail network and warn passengers they should only use trains or the Tube for essential journeys.
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The decision by BTP’s assistant chief constable Sean O’Callaghan represents the first high-profile policing of Brits’ behaviour since Boris Johnson declared a a lockdown could be enforced.
“We strongly urge the rest of the public to do the right thing and help us save lives by staying at home and slowing the spread of the virus,” O’Callaghan said in a statement.
A statement from our Assistant Chief Constable Sean O'Callaghan this evening.
We have 500 officers across the network tonight, supporting staff and reminding people of the urgent need to follow government advice.
"We strongly urge the rest of the public to do the right thing" pic.twitter.com/H2ZDJ8yrhE — British Transport Police (@BTP) March 24, 2020
It comes after images of packed London Underground carriages emerged on Monday stoked fears coronavirus could easily spread on public transport.
Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley sparks massive backlash
Politicians hit out at Sports Direct for trying to keep stores open after Boris Johnson ordered non-essential shops to close, with Labour’s chairman telling company majority owner Mike Ashley to “take some responsibility” and “shut up shop”.
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Management justified keeping stores open on the basis that selling sporting and fitness equipment makes the company a vital asset during a national shutdown, according to an email seen by the PA news agency.
Who on earth does Mike Ashley think he is ????
He’s now prepared to endanger the life of his employees and the public at large.
Selling sports wear is not a essential service
Take some responsibility SHUT UP SHOP 😷https://t.co/3oBSA5dEpV — Ian Lavery MP (@IanLaveryMP) March 23, 2020
Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group, which includes Sports Direct and Evans Cycles, wrote to all workers within 30 minutes of the PM’s decision to shut down all non-essential retailers.
But on Tuesday morning the retailer performed a quick U-turn, Sand confirmed it would not open its stores to the public.
Supermarket worker ‘spat at’ in panic buying row
A supermarket worker was spat at by a customer attempting to stockpile Pot Noodles while another was told: “I hope you get the virus and die,” as panic-buying blighted the nation’s response to coronavirus.
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An eyewitness described the scene at a packed branch of Asda in the Wirral, Merseyside, on Saturday, as a man in his 30s attempted to buy more than the three Pot Noodles allowed by the store.
A woman in her 40s working behind the checkout attempted to enforce the rules, brought in to ensure stocks could be maintained, “and the gentleman objected to it and spat at her”, according to businessman Andy Smith, who was in the store.
The man then left the store without buying anything in a shocking incident that was barely registered by shoppers.
“Everyone was so wrapped up in making sure everybody can get a bog roll or a Pot Noodle rather than actually having a bit of community spirit,” Smith told HuffPost UK.
“It’s massively troubling.”
Donald Trump continues putting the stock market before scientific advice
Donald Trump’s, ahem, trump card heading into this year’s presidential election was the stock market which has seen unprecedented growth during his time in office – until the fear and uncertainty around coronavirus wiped it all out.
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Despite health experts urging against a rush back to normalcy, Trump and his allies have begun hinting they want to relax social distancing policies next week amid the ongoing outbreak.
“We can’t have the cure be worse than the problem,” Trump told reporters at a press briefing on Monday.
“We have to open our country because that causes problems that, in my opinion, could be far bigger problems.”
Trump acknowledged there were trade-offs, but claimed, without apparent evidence, that if closures stretched on for months there would be “probably more death from that than anything that we’re talking about with respect to the virus”.
WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF. AT THE END OF THE 15 DAY PERIOD, WE WILL MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHICH WAY WE WANT TO GO! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2020
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On the face of it, with the death toll worldwide mounting and more and more countries rushing to impose draconian restrictions on their people, this seems crazy – and it is.
But viewed through the prism of the stock market, it makes sense – the president is trying to calm investors and claw back some of his political capital.
Black and minority students could lose out if grades are based on predicted results
Parents, teachers and students fear that Black and minority ethnic, working-class and other marginalised pupils could be penalised by the decision to award predicted grades to students instead of regular exams this summer.
Following the closure of schools and cancellation of examinations due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Department for Education confirmed teachers would award marks in place of GCSEs and A-levels.
But that could disadvantage the same groups of students already under-represented at top universities.
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Speaking to HuffPost UK, even a number of Black educators described being marked down in their predicted grades when they were at school before going on to gain higher grades.
You can read the full story here.
China to lift restrictions in area at centre of outbreak
China will lift restrictions on movement in most areas of Hubei province on Wednesday, ending a lockdown of the area brought on by the coronavirus.
People who are cleared will be able to leave the province after midnight on Tuesday, PA Media reports.
Restrictions on the hardest-hit city of Wuhan will remain until April 8.
China barred people from leaving or entering Wuhan and the wider province on January 23 as Covid-19 began spreading to the rest of China and overseas during the Lunar New Year holiday, when many Chinese travel.
Hubei has had almost no new infections for more than a week.
Construction workers are still being crammed onto tubes
For the second day in a row, pictures of people crammed onto the London Underground have raised questions about the effectiveness of the government’s latest coronavirus advice issued amid an unprecedented lockdown of the UK.
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Just hours after Boris Johnson told all Brits to travel to and from work only “where it is absolutely necessary”, pictures circulated on social media showed social-distancing rules being seemingly thrown out the window during Tuesday’s commute.
While many are no doubt key workers such as NHS staff, many of those working on the multitude of construction sites in the capital have also been forced to travel to work.
I’ve had a number of residents ask me this morning why work has continued on the site opposite #Alperton station (on Ealing Rd). Have tried to get through to HG Construction with no luck, @Clarion_Group, @ClarionSupport please contact me urgently. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/AodNK0hT2r — Cllr Anton Georgiou 🔶 (@anton_georgiou) March 24, 2020
Trade unionist Dan Dobson told HuffPost UK: “Over a million working in the construction industry are registered as self-employed. At the moment as it stands, there is no support from the government for any of those people.
“If they were to stay at home they would have no income to pay their rent or general household bills. Until the government bring in protections for those self-employed, then they’re not going to have a choice.”
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And finally some positive news...
British manufacturers are collaborating in order to make 30,000 badly needed ventilators for the NHS.
Around 5,000 will be ready in a fortnight and the rest in a few months, potentially easing one of the most worrying shortages facing the hugely under pressure NHS.
The collaboration, formed under the name of Ventilator Challenge UK includes Airbus and GKN, the Formula One team McLaren, Siemens and the medical equipment manufacturers Smiths and Penlon, The Times reports.