thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Cilla Black Eating An Orange Covered In Oxo Is Somehow Even Weirder Than The Actual News

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Just when you thought things couldn’t get weirder, an old video of Cilla Black revealing her culinary guilty pleasure has got the whole internet talking.
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And trust us – whatever you’re anticipating, the actual video is even more bizarre.
In the clip, the late Blind Date presenter is shown discussing her penchant for sprinkling Oxo cubes on an orange, even tucking into the delicacy on camera.
Cilla Black shows off her unique concoction BBC
“I helped myself to an orange, and I helped myself to an Oxo cube,” Cilla said, recalling how she stumbled upon the concoction as a child.
“I guess I was so eager to eat the orange and the Oxo that it all blended into one. And I thought ‘oooh, I like this’.”
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“Doesn’t that look fabulous?” Cilla then asked, brandishing an Oxo-drizzled slice of orange in – it has to be said – her perfectly-manicured hands, before helping herself to a taste there and then (with the skin still on, we should add).
this video about how cilla black used to eat oranges covered in oxo does not end where you expect it to pic.twitter.com/9Ksx6WBQy0 — hoops (@itsmatthooper) May 8, 2020
Things then took an even weirder turn, as Cilla revealed how the treat led her to fear for her immortal soul, after accidentally enjoying some on a Friday.
Raised a Catholic, Cilla was not supposed to eat meat on Fridays, explaining that a neighbour told her she’d have to go “straight away to confession”, if she wanted to take Holy Communion that Sunday.
“Now, for a child, not yet a teenager – to put a kid through that was actually torture,” Cilla said. “But he asked the fatal question… ‘what did you do when you realised you were eating meat?’. And I lied! I lied! I said I stopped, I stopped eating the Oxo.
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“To actually lie in the confessional box… because what’s what the point in confessing if you’re going to lie? So I went back, same priest, and it was just a simple 10 Hail Marys and twice around the block, and I was absolved.”
Cilla and her two favourite treats – an Oxo cube and an orange BBC
With its dramatic music, serious voiceover and even reconstruction of Cilla confessing as a child, you’d be forgiven for thinking the clip was a parody, but it actually came from the BBC series Eating With…, first airing in 2006.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Katy Perry Dressing Up As Dumbo's Mother To Serenade Her Pet Poodle Will Leave You Oddly Tearful

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If the latest announcement from Boris Johnson about adjustments to the lockdown has left you hanging on an emotional precipice, then prepare to be finished off.
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Katy Perry has served up one of the most adorable videos of recent weeks, teaming up with her dog Nugget as part of the second Disney Family Sing-A-Long on Sunday night.
The singer dressed up as Dumbo’s mum to serenade her pet poodle with the very weepy song Baby Mine, taken from the 1941 animated Disney classic.
Nugget was also dressed up as the cartoon elephant, and while the sight of him in his little costume has officially melted our hearts, the whole video has left us feeling rather tearful...
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The singer confirmed the news in the music video for her latest single, Never Worn White back in March, which finished with a side-on shot of her cradling a baby bump.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Who Should Still Be Shielding Under The New Lockdown Measures?

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People classed as “clinically extremely vulnerable” who are socially shielding in the coronavirus pandemic are urged to remain indoors until the end of June.
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This group of people was not mentioned in Sunday’s statement on the easing of lockdown restrictions by the prime minister, but a Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson confirmed to HuffPost UK that the advice still stands: people who are shielding should stay at home to stay safe.
It comes as people in England have been told they can exercise as many times a day as they like and sunbathe in local parks, as long as they socially distance. But this advice isn’t the same for those who are shielding.
Instead, they should stay home and avoid face-to-face contact with others until the end of June. It remains unclear whether the shielding period will be extended at that point.
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What does shielding mean?
You’re strongly advised to stay at home at all times and avoid any face-to-face contact if you’re clinically extremely vulnerable to protect yourself, Gov.uk states.
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It also lists that shielding means:
Not leaving your house. Not attending any gatherings. This includes gatherings of friends and families in private spaces, for example, family homes, weddings and religious services. Avoiding contact with someone who is displaying symptoms of coronavirus.
Who should be shielding?
Doctors in England identified specific medical conditions that, based on what they know about the virus, place people at greater risk of severe illness from Covid-19.
Those deemed “clinically extremely vulnerable” include organ transplant recipients; people with specific cancers; people with severe respiratory conditions; people with rare diseases that increase the risk of infections; people on immunosuppression therapies; and women who are pregnant with heart disease.
What about those classed as clinically vulnerable?
“Clinically vulnerable” people need to follow different advice to those deemed “clinically extremely vulnerable”.
People classed as clinically vulnerable include those aged 70 and over, those with specific chronic pre-existing conditions, such as mild to moderate respiratory diseases like asthma; diabetes; chronic heart, kidney and liver disease; and chronic neurological conditions like Parkinson’s and MS (you can find the full list here) as well as pregnant women.
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According to the government’s lockdown recovery strategy, clinically vulnerable people should continue to take particular care to minimise contact with others outside their households, but do not need to be shielded. You can read the latest advice on social distancing here, but the key takeaway is that people in this group are still advised to stay at home as much as possible.
What help can I get if I’m shielding?
If you’re shielding, you can register for extra support – for example, getting shopping delivered to your home. You can either register online or call 0800 028 8327. You need to have your NHS number with you when you register – you can find this at the top of the letter you received letting you know you are clinically extremely vulnerable.
You can also ask family, friends and neighbours to support you by picking up food and prescriptions, however they should drop them off in your garden or on your door step and remain two metres away at all times.
In a 51-page Covid-19 recovery strategy, the government said that over the coming weeks it will continue to introduce more support and assistance for people who are shielding.
agrobacter via Getty Images
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What if I don’t want to shield?
Ultimately, it’s up to you what you do. Shielding is for your own protection.
If you have a terminal illness, been given a prognosis of less than six months to live, or have some other special circumstances, you might not want to undertake shielding. Call your GP or specialist to discuss this.
How can I keep healthy during shielding?
You might want to consider doing certain activities to keep mentally and physically well. Some ideas include: doing daily exercises at home or in your garden; spending time doing things you enjoy like reading, cooking, knitting, gaming or other hobbies; eating healthy balanced meals and staying hydrated; opening the windows and curtains to get some fresh air and sunlight in.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Jury Trials To Resume In England And Wales From Next Week

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Jury trials in England and Wales are to resume from next week, the lord chief justice Lord Burnett has announced.
The decision was revealed on Monday following prime minister Boris Johnson’s address to the nation on Sunday, which outlined a gradual easing of the lockdown over the coming weeks and months.
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All jury trials were suspended at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in March, though remand and sentencing hearings have continued via videolink.
Earlier this month, several senior judges in England and Wales had suggested that virtual proceedings and smaller juries may be necessary if jury trials were to resume post-lockdown.
Special arrangements will be made in courts to maintain social distancing and other safety measures.
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Lord Burnett said: “It is important that the administration of justice continues to function whenever it is possible in an environment which is consistent with the safety of all those involved.”
The first courts where new juries will be sworn in include the Old Bailey in London and Cardiff Crown Court.
Public Health England and Public Health Wales have been involved in the detailed arrangements following recommendations from the Jury Trials Working Group, chaired by Mr Justice Edis, which has representatives from the legal profession and across the criminal justice system.
Other courts around the country are being assessed with the aim of gradually increasing the number of cases when it is safe to do so, with the facilities at each location being “carefully considered” in line with safety guidelines.
Arrangements to allow social distancing measures to be maintained include providing a second courtroom with CCTV to enable journalists and others to watch proceedings, and another courtroom in use for jury deliberations.
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Court staff will also be tasked with ensuring entrances and exits are carefully supervised and that all necessary cleaning takes place.
The trials will go ahead with 12 jurors, despite earlier suggestions the number of jurors might be reduced.
The announcement added: “Jury service is an essential part of criminal justice and jurors perform a vital duty.”
In a statement on the government’s website, justice secretary Robert Buckland said: “I am extremely grateful to the lord chief justice, the wider judiciary, legal professions, court staff and colleagues from across the criminal justice system for their determination and resolve in the discussions to get us to this point.
“Coming together in that spirit of collaboration will ensure that justice can continue to be done in a way that is safe for all court users.”
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In response to the announcement, Amanda Pinto QC, chairwoman of the Bar Council, which represents 18,000 barristers in England and Wales, said: “It is very encouraging to see that jury trials will start up again from mid-May. Jury trials are essential to our criminal justice system and to the rule of law.
“It is reassuring that efforts to restart jury trials have involved a painstaking and cautious approach, that prioritises practical measures to ensure the safety of all those involved in the delivery of criminal justice.
“The decision has not been made lightly.
“The Bar Council sees these first steps in managing and, then, we anticipate, as soon as is safely possible, rolling out jury trials more broadly across the nation, as a positive sign that criminal justice matters.”
A spokesperson for the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) said: “The CBA appreciates the very real pressure building through the system both before and since the lockdown on potential criminal offences committed within domestic abuse situations.
“With awareness of an increase in reporting of domestic abuse incidents being reported and the interim police and CPS Covid-19 charging protocol ensuring domestic abuse offences remain a priority, it is incumbent on us all to maintain a functioning criminal justice system, including when safely possible physical court hearings, so justice can be done fairly for all parties.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--No, You Cannot Meet Two Parents In A Park At The Same Time Despite What Dominic Raab Said

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Dominic Raab was wrong to say people would soon be allowed to meet both their parents at the same time in park, the government has said.
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In an interview on BBC Radio 4′s Today programme on Monday morning, the foreign secretary was asked if people would be able to “meet two parents at the same time” in a park.
The foreign secretary said: “Well, you could if there’s two metres apart.”
But the government has clarified this is not correct.
From Wednesday people will only be allowed to meet one other person in a park – and they must obey social distancing guidelines.
This means people could meet each parent separately, but not at the same time.
In a separate BBC interview, Raab said as long as people used “common sense” and kept socially distant they could meet people outside their households.
“If you’re out in the park and you’re two metres apart... you can meet up with other people,” he said.
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Boris Johnson will face MPs later today to explain his plan to ease the lockdown.
The government will also publish a 50-page document detailing the new guidance,
In his speech last night, the prime minister said from Wednesday people will be permitted to take “unlimited” outdoor exercise, sunbathe, play sports with members of their household and “drive to other destinations”.
The PM said a phased reopening of schools and non-essential shops in England could potentially begin from June 1 if transmission can be reduced.
Some parts of the hospitality industry could be reopened from the beginning of July.
Johnson also said people who cannot work from home should now be “actively encouraged” to return to their jobs, with No.10 having indicated this meant from Monday.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Dame Barbara Windsor 'Struggling' With Lockdown Measures, Says Close Friend Christopher Biggins

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Dame Barbara Windsor is said to be “struggling” with the current coronavirus lockdown measures, while self-isolating with her husband Scott Mitchell.
The former EastEnders star – who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2014 – is finding it difficult to comprehend why she can’t have visitors at home, according to her friend Christopher Biggins.
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He told The Sun: “She’s a little confused as to what’s going on because no one can visit her. She’s used to having a lot of visitors but now she’s asking why people have stopped coming to see her.
“It’s not because she thinks ‘they don’t like me’ because her husband Scott explains to her but she just forgets the explanation and she asks all the time.”
Biggins and Dame Barbara at an event in 2015 Dave J Hogan via Getty Images
He added that lockdown was “a frustrating time” for Dame Barbara and Scott, as a result.
Since going public with her condition in 2018, the 82-year-old and her husband have become known for their activism concerning dementia.
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Last year, she met with prime minister Boris Johnson, presenting him with an open letter signed by 100,000 people which said dementia care in the UK was in a “devastating state”.
Scott Mitchell and Barbara Windsor met with Boris Johnson last year ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pictured holding Dame Barbara’s hands, Johnson pledged: “We’ll do this. It’s very hard. We have to sort it out. I’m going to do my best for you. It’s a big old job.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Jerry Stiller, Star Of Seinfeld And The King Of Queens, Dies Aged 92

US actor Jerry Stiller has died at the age of 92.
Jerry was best known for his roles in Seinfeld and The King Of Queens.
The star’s death was announced on Twitter by his son, Hollywood star Ben Stiller, on Monday morning.
Jerry Stiller with son Ben Charles Eshelman via Getty Images
Ben tweeted: “I’m sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes.
“He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad.”
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I’m sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes. He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad. pic.twitter.com/KyoNsJIBz5 — Ben Stiller (@RedHourBen) May 11, 2020
Jerry found fame as part of comedy double act Stiller and Meara, alongside his late wife Anne Meara, and became popular during the 1960s and 1970s.
They regularly appeared on Ed Sullivan’s US talk show, as well as having their own short-lived sitcom, The Stiller And Meara Show, in 1986.
In 1993, Jerry replaced John Randolph as George Costanza’s ill-tempered father Frank in sitcom Seinfeld, who was famed for his catchphrase: “Serenity now!”.
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From 1998 to 2007, Jerry played Leah Remini’s father Arthur in all nine series of sitcom The King Of Queens starring Kevin James.
He also appeared alongside son Ben in Zoolander, with his final credited acting role being in the film’s 2016 sequel.
Jerry is survived by son Ben and daughter Amy, following wife Anne’s death in 2015.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Now Government Says Don't Return To Work Until Wednesday As Lockdown Message Causes More Confusion

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Dominic Raab has said people should not feel they must return to work until Wednesday, despite Boris Johnson having indicated it should be “actively encouraged” from Monday.
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In his speech to the nation on Sunday evening, the prime minister said people who cannot work from home, such as those in the construction industry, should return “now”.
The short notice led to warnings millions of people would be confused as to what they would be expected to do and when.
Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, said Johnson appeared to be “effectively telling millions of people to go back to work without a clear plan for safety”.
Frances O’Grady, the TUC general secretary, said it had caused “anxiety” for workers.
“How can the prime minister – with 12 hours’ notice – tell people they should be going back to sites and factories? It’s a recipe for chaos,” she said.
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Ahead of Johnson’s announcement, the government had said Sunday’s speech would include information that Brits would use to make changes to their lives from the next day.
But speaking to BBC Radio 4′s Today programme this morning, Raab appeared to change course, saying the changes to the advice on who should go to work “will take effect from Wednesday”.
There was no mention of this by Johnson on Sunday.
The PM had said only: “We now need to stress that anyone who can’t work from home, for instance those in construction or manufacturing, should be actively encouraged to go to work.”
The surprise announcement is likely to have left many scrambling to return to work on Monday morning.
But Johnson also said anyone travelling to work should “avoid public transport if at all possible – because we must and will maintain social distancing, and capacity will therefore be limited”.
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He concluded: “So work from home if you can, but you should go to work if you can’t work from home.”
Johnson will provide more detailed plans to gradually ease the coronavirus lockdown in a statement to parliament later today, as official figures suggested the UK death toll has passed 36,800.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Persian Gulf Accident: 19 Sailors Dead After Iranian Navy 'Friendly Fire' Strike

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Nineteen sailors have been killed and another 15 injured after an Iranian warship accidentally struck another with a missile during an exercise in the Gulf of Oman.
According to state media, the frigate Jamaran fired at a training target released by a support ship, the Konarak, which failed to leave area in time and was hit.
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Iranian media rarely report on mishaps during its exercises, signalling the severity of the incident, which happened on Sunday.
The friendly fire incident happened near the port of Jask, some 790 miles south-east of Tehran, in the Gulf of Oman, a sensitive waterway that connects to the Strait of Hormuz through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes.
A local hospital admitted 12 sailors and treated another three with slight wounds, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
Iranian media said the Konarak had been overhauled in 2018 and was able to launch sea and anti-ship missiles.
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Iran's first domestically made destroyer Jamaran sails in the Gulf on February 21, 2009. AFP via Getty Images
The Dutch-made vessel was in service since 1988 and had capacity of 40 tonnes. It usually carries a crew of 20 sailors, Reuters reports.
The incident also comes amid months of heightened tensions between Iran and the US since President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers in 2018 and imposed crushing sanctions on the country.
Animosity deepened in early January when a US drone strike in Baghdad killed top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani.
Iran retaliated on January 9 by firing missiles at US military bases in Iraq.
Later that day, Iran’s armed forces shot down a Ukrainian airliner, killing all 176 people aboard, in what the military later acknowledged was a mistake.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Piers Morgan Blasts Dan Walker As BBC Breakfast Star Shades His Interviewing Technique

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Piers Morgan has blasted his daytime rival Dan Walker, after the BBC presenter threw some serious shade at his interviewing technique.
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The two breakfast TV stars have had a long-standing – although admittedly mostly amicable – feud for some time, largely revolving around the ratings of Good Morning Britain and BBC Breakfast.
However, after receiving praise for his interview with foreign secretary Dominic Raab on Monday morning, Dan couldn’t resist taking a pop at his ITV counterpart.
"We want to make sure that people can enjoy the outdoors more"
Dominic Raab MP attempts to clarify the updated #lockdown guidance in #England on #BBCBreakfast, in regards to meeting other people.
More here: https://t.co/XIP6ibiFmY pic.twitter.com/UuHCwhVNmZ — BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) May 11, 2020
“Thanks for all your kind comments about our #BBCBreakfast interviews this morning,” he wrote.
And although he didn’t mention Piers by name, it doesn’t take the best detective in the world to decipher who he was talking about when he added: “It is possible to challenge politicians & and ask difficult questions without shouting, interrupting [and] telling everyone you’re brilliant at holding them to account.”
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Thanks for all your kind comments about our #BBCBreakfast interviews this morning. It is possible to challenge politicians & and ask difficult questions without...
Shouting
Interrupting
Telling everyone you’re brilliant at holding them to account
Thanks for watching. — Dan Walker (@mrdanwalker) May 11, 2020
The comment did not go unnoticed by Piers, who wasted no time in laying into the BBC Breakfast star, claiming he has the “softest touch in the world” and comparing him to one of the Teletubbies.
Piers Morgan and Dan Walker Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock/BBC
“The reason they all go on your show Dan is because you’re known as the softest touch in world [of] political interviewing,” Piers fumed.
“Or as the Guardian called you recently ‘LaLa from the Teletubbies... most at home asking unthreatening lifestyle questions’’.”
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🤣🤣The reason they all go on your show Dan is because you’re known as the softest touch in world political interviewing... or as the Guardian called you recently ‘LaLa from the Telletubbies... most at home asking unthreatening lifestyle questions.’ https://t.co/jTfLU59YYU — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 11, 2020
Last week, Piers raised eyebrows when he claimed that government officials had been banned from appearing on Good Morning Britain.
This came after both he and Susanna Reid have received a wave of praise for their interviews with ministers about coronavirus and the UK lockdown.
Addressing the official Twitter accounts for Boris Johnson and 10 Downing Street, he continued: “This is a pathetic & cowardly response to THEIR shameful incompetence.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Revealed: The Most Common Jobs Done By Brits Who Die Of Coronavirus

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The most common professions of people who have died after contracting coronavirus in England and Wales have been revealed for the first time.
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People working in social care, including care workers and home carers, have “significantly” higher death rates involving Covid-19 than the working population as a whole, new analysis suggests.
The figures have been calculated by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), based on deaths involving Covid-19 in England and Wales registered up to April 20.
For male social care workers in England and Wales, the rate of death involving Covid-19 is estimated to be 23.4 deaths per 100,000 males, while for female social care workers the figure is 9.6.
Men working as security guards had one of the highest rates, with 45.7 deaths per 100,000 (63 deaths). Among men, a number of other specific occupations were found to have raised rates of death involving Covid-19, including: taxi drivers and chauffeurs (36.4 deaths per 100,000); bus and coach drivers (26.4 deaths per 100,000); chefs (35.9 deaths per 100,000); and sales and retail assistants (19.8 deaths per 100,000).
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Among men, those working in the lowest skilled occupations had the highest rate of death involving #COVID19, with 21.4 deaths per 100,000 males (225 deaths) https://t.co/HmyZm89Tuk pic.twitter.com/giRr0yoauZ — Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) May 11, 2020
By contrast, for all males of working age (20 to 64 years old), the rate of death involving Covid-19 is 9.9 deaths per 100,000, with 5.2 deaths per 100,000 females.
But perhaps surprisingly, healthcare workers, including those with jobs such as doctors and nurses, were not found to have higher rates of death involving the virus compared to the general population.
For female workers, the ONS did not identify any specific jobs with raised rates of death involving Covid-19, instead highlighting only one broad group where the Covid-19 mortality rate was significantly higher than the equivalent rate among women of the same age in the general population: caring, leisure and other service occupations.
The ONS said its analysis “does not prove conclusively that the observed rates of death involving Covid-19 are necessarily caused by differences in occupational exposure”. Figures had been adjusted for age, but not for other factors such as ethnic group and place of residence.
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Coronavirus-related posters in Newton Street, Manchester SIPA USA/PA Images
The findings could change as more deaths are registered, the ONS added.
As of Sunday, it was reported that 31,855 people had died in UK hospitals after contracting coronavirus.
ONS weekly death registrations up to April 24 have shown that most deaths involving Covid-19 were among people aged 65 and over (24,009 out of 27,356) with 43% (10,410) of these occurring in the over-85 age group.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Piers Morgan Tears Into Boris Johnson Over 'Disingenuous' Lockdown Address

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Piers Morgan has torn into Boris Johnson over his “disingenuous” address to the nation on Sunday night.
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The Good Morning Britain presenter said the prime minister’s televised speech outlining changes to the lockdown was a “total waste of time”, claiming many of the rules “made no sense”.
After Johnson claimed the government’s coronavirus strategy to this point had saved thousands of lives, Piers tweeted: “So disingenuous. The Prime Minister changed UK strategy after he was told the herd immunity policy he’d been pursuing for weeks would lead to 500k deaths.
Piers Morgan and Boris Johnson Shutterstock/ITV
“How many died unnecessarily before he U-turned to the way everyone else was already doing it?”
So disingenuous. The Prime Minister changed UK strategy after he was told the herd immunity policy he’d been pursuing for weeks would lead to 500k deaths. How many died unnecessarily before he U-turned to the way everyone else was already doing it? https://t.co/UegqgeVZMI — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 10, 2020
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So nothing’s really changed then. Total waste of time. pic.twitter.com/ejALEGgfXI — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 10, 2020
Piers claimed the PM’s announcement that members of the same household would be allowed to sit in parks or play sport together outside was nonsensical, noting: “I haven’t seen two of my sons for 10 weeks. They live 10 minutes away, next to a large common. Am I allowed to go and see them, if I stay 2 metres away?
“The answer appears to be no, yet I can see 1000s of strangers a day in my local park if I stay 2m away. Makes no sense.
“I can drive 100s of miles to sunbathe alongside complete strangers on a beach, maintaining 2m distance - but not see my parents? This is ridiculous.”
I haven't seen two of my sons for 10 weeks. They live 10 minutes away, next to a large common. Am I allowed to go and see them, if I stay 2 metres away? The answer appears to be no, yet I can see 1000s of strangers a day in my local park if I stay 2m away.
Makes no sense. https://t.co/yAWTBgifSG — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 10, 2020
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I can drive 100s of miles to sunbathe alongside complete strangers on a beach, maintaining 2m distance - but not see my parents? This is ridiculous. — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 10, 2020
As Piers returned to work on Good Morning Britain on Monday following a week off due to illness, he told co-host Susanna Reid he was feeling “extremely frustrated by what I watched last night”.
He said: “I don’t know where it leaves us and I don’t understand the sequence of events here.
“Boris Johnson clears 15 minutes of prime time, Sunday night television to address the nation, and you expect when you get that amount of time on a Sunday night at seven o’clock you would get loads of great detail that clears everything up.
“Instead we got a load of his usual flim-flam, his bluster, his bellicose, fist-pumping rhetoric. But when it gets to the detail, I don’t know where it leaves us.”
On Monday morning, foreign secretary Dominic Raab has appeared on rival breakfast show BBC Breakfast in an attempt to clarify some of the new rules, including meeting more than one loved-one in outdoor spaces.
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"We want to make sure that people can enjoy the outdoors more"
Dominic Raab MP attempts to clarify the updated #lockdown guidance in #England on #BBCBreakfast, in regards to meeting other people.
More here: https://t.co/XIP6ibiFmY pic.twitter.com/UuHCwhVNmZ — BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) May 11, 2020
“If you’re out in the park and you’re two metres apart, we’re saying now, and use some common sense and you socially distance, you can meet up with other people,” he said.
However, the government has since clarified this was not correct for Raab to say, insisting people will only be allowed to meet one other person in a park – and they must obey social distancing guidelines.
Raab was previously lambasted by Piers on Twitter for apparently declining to appear on GMB to respond to the public’s questions about the prime minister’s address.
The presenter called it “a shameful dereliction of his duty to the public who pay his wages”.
So many important things to clarify for @GMB viewers, that might save lives, yet @DominicRaab refuses to come on the show tomorrow to clarify them on behalf of the Govt. This is a shameful dereliction of his duty to the public who pay his wages.
Think again, Mr Raab. pic.twitter.com/jBr1NMXFSN — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 10, 2020
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It comes after Piers claimed the government had imposed a “pathetic and cowardly” ban on ministers appearing on the ITV breakfast show, following controversial interviews with care minister Helen Whately and health secretary Matt Hancock last month.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Victoria Beckham Probably Won't Thank Dane Bowers For (Over) Sharing These Stories About When They W

Victoria Beckham Probably Won't Thank Dane Bowers For (Over) Sharing These Stories About When They Worked Together

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Dane Bowers has been (over)sharing details of the period he spent hanging out with Victoria Beckham in the early noughties - and we doubt she’d thank him for it.
The former boybander collaborated with Victoria on their 2000 single Out Of Your Mind, which famously lost out to Spiller and Sophie Ellis Bextor’s If It Ain’t Love in a highly publicised chart battle.
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Twenty years later and Dane has been spilling the beans on what it was like hanging out with the artist formerly known as Posh Spice, as they traveled the world together promoting the dance track.
Dane Bowers and Victoria Beckham perform on stage at Party In The Park held at Hyde Park on July 9, 2000 in London Dave Hogan via Getty Images
Dane, who found fame as part of the 90s boy band Another Level, claims that he and Victoria were often drunk when they performed the song.
“We were pissed out of our brains,” he told The Sun. “I don’t think we ever performed when we weren’t drunk.
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“We got trains all over the UK to various gigs and we were always on the vodka or champagne.
“One time, we were travelling to Newcastle and Victoria and I left first class to party with our dancers in another carriage. Music was being blasted out. It was one big party.
“A train guard came over and told us to pipe down but Victoria just sweet-talked him, saying ‘Have a drink with us’.
“We had to go on stage and we were thinking, ‘Shit, we’re drunk’.”
Yui Mok - PA Images via Getty Images
Dane also claims that when the pair were on a TV show in Europe, Victoria ended up having a bit of an unfortunate accident.
“We spoke to these German guys. Their sense of humour wasn’t quite the same as ours, Dane explained.
“During the interview I blurted something out and she wet herself. Literally, in the chair.
“We had to stop so she could sort herself out in the bathroom.”
Dane says he always got on well with Victoria’s husband David, but the relationship between the former Spice Girl and his then-girlfriend Katie Price wasn’t so good.
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Owen Humphreys - PA Images via Getty Images
Dane recalls: “Katie hated that I was doing music with Victoria. She was giving me so much grief. “
The singer also revealed that Victoria didn’t rate her own voice much.
“She used to say to me, ‘I’m no Mariah Carey’ and I would agree,” he says. “She wasn’t amazing but she could hold a tune.
“Victoria was a much better drinker.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Coronavirus: PM's Quarantine Plans Spark Confusion, And Four Other Stories You Need To Know

It has been further complicated by the announcement that Johnson and French president Emmanuel Macron have agreed quarantine measures would not apply between France and the UK “at this stage”.
Downing Street issued the statement after the pair spoke on Sunday.
“The prime minister and the president agreed to work together in taking forward appropriate border measures. This co-operation is particularly necessary for the management of our common border.
“No quarantine measures would apply to travellers coming from France at this stage; any measures on either side would be taken in a concerted and reciprocal manner.”
Johnson did not mention arrivals by sea, and he did not make clear whether it would include passengers on internal UK flights or on flights from the Republic of Ireland.
A government official said quarantine is “a few weeks away from happening yet”, adding: “What the scientific advice tells you is that when domestic transmission is high, imported cases represent a small amount of the overall total and make no significant difference to the epidemic.
“However, this can change when the domestic transmission rate of infection is low and people are arriving from countries with a higher rate of infection.”
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “This news will add to the confusion that British travellers are currently facing when trying to work out whether they can travel as planned, safely rebook postponed holidays, and when they will receive the refunds they are entitled to under consumer law for cancelled trips.
“The situation is chaotic: the guidance issued by the government against travelling abroad is indefinite, and yet some airlines and travel companies are selling flights and holidays due to depart within the next few weeks which carry no warning that they are unlikely to go ahead as planned.
On Saturday, Airport Operators Association (AOA) chief executive Karen Dee said: “Quarantine would not only have a devastating impact on the UK aviation industry, but also on the wider economy.”
Dr Peter Drobac, a medical doctor specialising in infectious diseases and an academic at the University of Oxford, said the quarantine plan would have been a “smart” thing to do in February and early March.
“And that might have made a really big difference,” he said.
Commenting on the enforcement of a quarantine, Drobac added: “You can’t wave a magic wand and say we’re having a quarantine and expect it to work.
“There’s got to be a lot of infrastructure in place to make that effective.”
Johnson to set out ‘road map’ for lockdown exit


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Matt Lucas Ruthlessly Mocks Boris Johnson’s Lockdown Plan Following PM’s Coronavirus Update

Make the most of your time in lockdown with a daily dose of celebrity news and guides to the best shows. Sign up to the entertainment newsletter.
It took the prime minister ten minutes to tell us we could exercise as often as we wanted and that those who couldn’t work from home should head back to the grind today (we think).
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However, it took Matt Lucas just 18 seconds to sum up what we were all feeling.
The Little Britain star shared a clip of him doing a (really rather good) impersonation of Boris following his speech.
“So, we are saying don’t go to work, go to work, don’t take public transport, go to work, don’t go to work,” Matt begins.
“Stay indoors. If you can work from home go to work, don’t go to work, go outside, don’t go outside.
“And then we will or won’t, something or other.”
Yeah, us neither, Matt.
Someone else who wasn’t impressed with Boris’s latest address to the nation was Piers Morgan, who took to Twitter immediately after the PM’s televised speech.
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“So disingenuous,” the Good Morning Britain host tweeted.
“The Prime Minister changed UK strategy after he was told the herd immunity policy he’d been pursuing for weeks would lead to 500k deaths.
“How many died unnecessarily before he U-turned to the way everyone else was already doing it?
“So nothing’s really changed then. Total waste of time.”
So disingenuous. The Prime Minister changed UK strategy after he was told the herd immunity policy he’d been pursuing for weeks would lead to 500k deaths. How many died unnecessarily before he U-turned to the way everyone else was already doing it? https://t.co/UegqgeVZMI — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 10, 2020
So, the Prime Minister is urging millions of non-essential workers to go out to work - but also telling people we still can’t see family or friends even if we maintain the same social distancing rules as non-essential workers at work?
Makes no sense. — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 10, 2020
So nothing’s really changed then. Total waste of time. pic.twitter.com/ejALEGgfXI — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 10, 2020
Jonathan Ross echoed Piers’ feelings, tweeting: “I rarely comment on politics here, and avoid publicly siding with one party (all pretty useless at the moment) because no one should give a shit about celebs opinions.
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“But it’s hard to imagine a greater display of inept leadership and muddled thinking then Boris just displayed.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--The Olive Chicken Recipe That Restored My Faith in Cooking

I like my home-cooked meals to be simple: baked chicken breast with herbes de Provence scattered on top, an uncomplicated pasta pomodoro, a roasted cod drenched in salt, lemon, olive oil and some pepper. The fewer the ingredients, the more appealing the recipe.
Don’t get me wrong: My palate appreciates a decadently prepared dish bursting with flavours and aromas. But when I’m the chef, I’m perennially drawn to recipes that leave no room for mistakes and require minimal time — in terms of both preparation and post-meal cleanup. At home, ingredients should be used at their most elemental, without having to resort to an endless rack of additives.
Chanie Apfelbaum Chanie Apfelbaum's olive chicken.
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In contrast, my husband Perry believes that each meal should be an experience, a chance to try something new. He loves his food to be flamboyant and flavourfully eclectic, drowning in spices, sauces and all-around thickness. He has the patience to braise and boil and baste for hours, eventually enjoying the fruits of his labor without worrying about the time it will take him to clean the countless pots and pans needed to prepare a single dish.
Of course, that difference in philosophy, albeit exciting in life, has come to be a bit of a drawback within the confines of our shared kitchen. When I make dinner, he eats it with a smile on his face after adding a lot of pepper flakes to everything. When he cooks, I eat with a smile on my face while my eyes spiral backward because of overpowering flavours wrestling inside my mouth.
That all took a surprising turn a few months ago, when we stumbled upon a recipe that caters to both of our culinary demands, checking off Perry’s need for intensity and my own desire for simplicity.
The olive chicken recipe we found requires a single baking dish and a handful of easy-to-access ingredients that happen to pack a punch in terms of seasoning. Developed by Chanie Apfelbaum for her “Millennial Kosher” cookbook, the recipe stands out because of its straightforwardness, yet earned a spot in our regular dinner rotation because of its long-lasting taste profile. Bonus points: it’s easily customisable, which seems to be the chef’s forte.
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Apfelbaum is behind the popular blog and Instagram handle Busy in Brooklyn, where she chronicles her life in Crown Heights with five kids. All of her recipes are reinventions of traditional Jewish foods, aimed to cater to a curious palate while following kosher dietary laws.
“I do it so many different ways,” Apfelbaum said about the olive chicken. “I put chickpeas in a pan and it’ll be a one-pot thing.”
Although she initially came up with the recipe as a way to satisfy her daughter’s love for olives, Apfelbaum eventually came to think of it as a close cousin to pizza-like dishes. With that in mind, she now prepares the dish as she would a vegetable slice.
“I wouldn’t put cheese on it because I’m kosher,” she explains, calling out religious restrictions against the concurrent consumption of dairy and meat. “But think of how you would order your vegetable slice from the store: Do you like spinach and artichoke? Do you like mushroom slices? Customise it with whatever veggies you like, or whatever you have in your fridge. It’s totally your call.”
In our own household, that personalisation takes the form of a ton of mushrooms in addition to the herbs and dark meat chicken that the recipe calls for. The result? A peaceful matrimonial meal enjoyed and appreciated by all.
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Olive Chicken
6 servings
Ingredients
3 ounces tomato paste (heaping 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
6 dark meat chicken cutlets
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1/2 sliced green olives with pimentos, sliced
1/2 cup sliced black olives, sliced
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
1 red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch of red pepper flakes, options
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a small bowl, mix the tomato paste with oregano and basil. Smear the paste over the chicken; place chicken into a baking dish. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Spread sliced olives over the chicken; top with diced tomatoes and onions. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if desired. Drizzle with olive oil.
4. Bake for 25-35 minutes.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--How I Cope: We Hosted A Private View For Our Adult Colouring Masterpieces

You’re reading How I Cope, a series sharing self-care tips as we all adjust to the coronavirus pandemic.
It was a private view, but not like the ones you remember. This one took place in our home and we were the artists and the only guests. Two weeks of colouring with pencils and paintbrushes had culminated in the “Blooming In The Frames” exhibition opening – a lockdown event just for us.
Canapés, wines and beers were laid out, atmospheric music played from the minirig speaker and assorted lights illuminated our hard work. A total of 33 pieces framed and hung in our gallery space, also known as our corridor.
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Dressed in our art world finest, we admired our work – hours of meditative painting, pencilling and pastelling, presented like we were at the White Cube gallery.
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My housemate Margarita masterminded the whole idea. During the week we choose our ‘canvases’ from a book filled with vintage comic covers and another filled with rude phrases woven among furry animals and flowers. My choices included Captain Midnight, Sheena Jungle Queen and Try To Be Less Of A Dick Please among others.
On the weekend we gathered on the communal terrace at the allocated time and Margarita presented us with our canvases, as well as all the colouring tools we could ever desire and White Russian cocktails on tap (with almond milk substitute in mine). Water colour pencils and paints, pastels and crayons quickly filled our empty monochrome pages.
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But it wasn’t just the paper that was transformed. The power of focussing on the task at hand – how I applied the brush I was using, or whether I should use the green sharpie to make “Go Suck A Cock” really pop among the flowers, bees and furry bears – made me live in the present, freed from the constant anxiety of the pandemic.
Supplied Colouring
As a journalist, my working life is saturated by the latest Covid-19 news, and it felt liberating to be able to escape momentarily. In a recent mental health video I worked on, Integrative Counsellor & Psychotherapist, Anthony Davis, talked about the “locus of control” as a coping mechanism – focussing on what you do have control over (my colouring pens) instead of something you don’t (a pandemic).
Over countless evenings with my lockdown crew, colouring proved to be an amazing way to escape the immediacy of the world around us. It was really quite meditative as my housemates, and the flat we share a terrace with, chatted, often falling quiet as we fell deeper into our endeavours. Sometimes this silence would be broken by a squabble over who was hogging the best light or whose turn it was to change the paintbrush water – never about death tolls or phased government plans.
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We didn’t know it at the time but Margarita had a master plan, in a series of group and individual Whatsapp messages we had been instructed to create an artist alter ego, write a paragraph about said alter ego and name our pieces. Meanwhile she used CAD (computer-aided design software) to spec up the gallery space, bought frames and measured up the hangings. She also setup a Facebook event for the private view with an illustrious invitation list of all five of us.
Supplied Lockdown
So, on a Sunday evening we all gathered in our hallway as our alter egos – The Smurfette (Elaine), CharleZ (Charles), Fantasia Mufflediver (Laura), woodpecker370 (Margarita) and Xavier Pointe (me) – to sip drinks, nibble on canapés and take photos, marvelling at our hard and in some cases prolific work. We told unfathomable stories about our alter ego’s artistic motivations, made ridiculously pretentious interpretations of each other’s art and soaked up each other’s company.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Coronavirus Is Leaving People With Serious Fatigue – What Can You Do About It?

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Some of those who’ve been diagnosed with Covid-19 – or suspect they have it – are finding experiencing intense fatigue and an inability to return to their normal levels of activity, even weeks into their recovery.
Professor Paul Garner, an expert in global health at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, is one of them. He had what he heavily suspects was Covid-19 and suffered seven weeks of ill health and exhaustion as a result.
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“Sometimes I felt better and became optimistic,” he wrote of his fatigue in the British Medical Journal. “but then the next day I felt as though someone had hit me around the head with a cricket bat.”
Recovery from the virus can take weeks, sometimes even months, Prof Garner went on to stress. “Symptoms come and go, are strange and frightening,” he wrote. “The exhaustion is severe, real, and part of the illness.”
The ME Association has also received reports of extreme fatigue from previously healthy people who have had – or suspect they had – coronavirus and have not returned to their normal level of health and energy in the weeks following the onset of symptoms.
Dr Charles Shepherd, honorary medical adviser to the ME Association, suggests some of these people might be experiencing post viral fatigue (PVF) or even post viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS).
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The first is a temporary tiredness and weakness that lingers after a person has had a viral infection, the second a longer-term illness with a wide range of symptoms, the most common of which is extreme tiredness. This is also diagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME).
The number of people citing intense fatigue as an issue after having coronavirus symptoms has been “steadily increasing” in the past few weeks, Dr Shepherd tells HuffPost UK.
“We’re just starting to get to the point now where lots of people have it [Covid-19] and they’re now three or four weeks after they’ve had their initial symptoms, but they’re not getting better,” he says. “So they’re starting to ask questions and doctors are starting to ask questions.”
The issue is mainly impacting people who have managed the illness at home, Dr Shepherd notes – although this self-reporting could be because people returning home from hospital are already expecting a longer recovery time.
While it’s possible some people with the virus will go on to have post-viral fatigue syndrome, it’s too early to be sure of a link. However, studies have suggested this has happened before in past outbreaks.
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One study from 2011 looked at 22 people who had ongoing health problems after the SARS outbreak in Toronto, Canada, and couldn’t return to work. The participants tended to have disturbed sleep, daytime fatigue, pain and weakness in the muscles, and depression, which researchers concluded were symptoms of a chronic post SARS infection syndrome.
“These symptoms were very reminiscent of CFS/ME,” one of the lead researchers, Dr Harvey Moldofsky, told New Scientist.
Another study of 233 SARS survivors, a year after the outbreak in Hong Kong, found 40% reported some degree of chronic fatigue and 27% met diagnostic criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome.
While we don’t know for sure the causes of CFS/ME, there are a number of theories about what might trigger it – one of which is viral infections.
The ME Association has noticed that people with diagnosed CFS/ME are experiencing a “significant exacerbation” of their CFS/ME symptoms after having the coronavirus. However, Professor Garner believes we should be cautious about calling it post-viral fatigue syndrome for now.
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“The virus, and the body’s response to it, clearly causes a myriad of symptoms,” he tells HuffPost UK in an email – some are similar to symptoms of other viral infections, some are unusual and some are similar to the symptoms of CFS/ME. “As things stand, by the UK definition, this is not chronic fatigue syndrome or ME because a) we know the cause and b) it hasn’t gone on for four months.”
holaillustrations via Getty Images
This matters, says Prof Garner, because “some doctors and families are dismissing people who are quite unwell with ‘post-viral exhaustion’” when it fatigue could still be a symptom of the coronavirus itself.
“If you have people at home assuming they have a diagnosis of ‘post viral exhaustion’, with weird symptoms that may actually be an indicator of the development of severe disease, they may discount them and not seek care that could be important to save their lives,” he says.
What experts do agree on is that people experiencing fatigue after suspected coronavirus need to listen to their bodies – if you push yourself too hard too soon, this may slow your recovery.
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Key to all this, says Dr Shepherd, is managing your level of activity. This doesn’t mean going to bed and staying there, nor does it mean going on a 5km run. It’s about not doing too much or too little, but instead small chunks of physical activity – a five minute walk around the garden, a rest, some mental activity, and a rest. “You certainly can’t exercise your way out of this,” he adds.
Most people who do develop coronavirus do go on to recover – but that recovery is gradual. Dr Shepherd advises a staged return to work to build your capacity, avoiding stressful situations and taking care of your mental health.
People whose health is deteriorating after 14 days of coronavirus symptoms should seek medical help. And while it can take months to recover fully, if you have persistent fatigue symptoms after four months which interfere with your capacity to carry out normal day-to-day activities, visit your GP for further tests.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--My Sweet, Beautiful Daughter Just Died, And I Don't Know How I'm Supposed To Grieve

HuffPost UK Courtesy of the author
My daughter died Thursday, April 23, at 1:11 p.m. And I was not with her when she died.
Her name was Laura. She turned 33 in March. She died of diffuse gastric cancer. But because of the spread of Covid-19, I — her mama bear, as she took to calling me late in her illness — was not with her.
Yes, she died of cancer. But because of the sudden onset of shortness of breath, fever and cough ― symptoms that developed in early April — she was classified as “presumptive Covid-19.”
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A few days into her last hospitalisation, she called me, frustrated and sobbing, because no one was allowed in the hospital to support her – not me, nor her steadfast fiance, Brett.
The hospital had not permitted her to bring so much as a change of clothing or underwear. Her long, beautiful hair was dirty and tangled from fevered sweat and sleeplessness. She cried that even if she could manage to shower, she was not permitted hair conditioner or her comb.
She was utterly alone in her hospital room, with only overworked nurses to assist her. Not even her doctors would visit, she said. Because of her “presumed Covid-19 diagnosis,” they, too, were afraid to get close to her and would only call her on the phone or check on her through the glass window of her hospital room from the safety of the corridor.
She just wanted to go home.
Laura was released from the hospital on Easter Sunday, April 12, and sent home to recover with supplemental oxygen and occasional home health care visits. She continued to teach her high school biology and chemistry sections via distance learning throughout her illness.
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Teaching was Laura’s passion. As a girl, she would come home from kindergarten, line up her dolls and stuffed animals in a circle, and give them homework and tests. She always gave her favourite doll, Judy, As on all her assignments, while Nico, her stuffed raccoon, invariably earned Cs.
Laura had been suffering with stomach pains for months in the fall of 2017. She’d seen her doctor, been prescribed antacids and was advised by well-meaning friends to “go gluten-free.”
Despite intermittent gastric pain, she and Brett traveled to Andalusia, Spain, during her holiday break in 2017, where Brett asked her to be his wife. She was thrilled to be planning a wedding and a family of their own.
Spain was very special to Laura. Early in her career, she left her job at a research laboratory in Utah to teach children at a bilingual school in a small town in the mountains outside of Córdoba.
Laura was diagnosed with cancer in January 2018, following routine surgery. She reacted to the blow by quickly deciding what was important to her: continuing to teach, her loved ones and her ability to continue to explore the world with Brett at her side.
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Courtesy of Laura with her fiance, Brett Littleton, in Seville, Spain, on Dec. 24, 2017, the day they became engaged.
She scheduled chemo treatments, and later an immunotherapy clinical trial, around her school and travel schedules and was able to live her life fiercely and on her terms.
She enjoyed drinking craft beer, a habit she picked up during her college days in Corvallis, Oregon. She was frustrated that following chemo treatments she could not bear to drink anything cold.
Laura loved rock climbing and managed to hit the climbing gym as frequently as her schedule would allow, despite chemo-induced neuropathy. She told me once, “Mom, the climbing gym is one of the only places nobody knows I’m ‘Cancer Girl.’”
After Laura came home from the hospital on Easter, she had some good days teaching, cooking, remodeling the bathroom and walking Delilah, her new puppy. We shared “stay at home” comfort food recipes, and she was thrilled when, for her birthday, I gave her the pocket travel guide to Paris she asked me for.
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But she continued to use supplemental oxygen, and her oxygen needs continued to increase.
On Saturday, April 18, Laura was walking the dog, passed out and fell. When I heard what happened, I texted, “Do you want me to come down and fret with/for you?” She replied, ”I don’t want to risk you getting corona.” I texted back, “Damn virus.” And I waited.
Laura was scheduled for a bronchoscopy the following Monday, April 20. Two days after the test, she called me, sobbing. The results from the bronchoscopy were dire. Her lack of oxygen was not, in fact, related to Covid-19, but to something far more sinister: The cancer had spread into her lungs. Without aggressive treatment, she was told she had perhaps only a month to live.
We discussed options ― talked about how she had a few days to choose whether she wanted to continue to “fight like hell.” Or not.
I told her I loved her with all my heart and would support her either way. I started packing for the four-hour drive to be with her the next day, and she texted me to “call first.” I packed for a vigil. I carefully slipped on the earrings she’d bought for me in Colombia last summer. We both thought we had time.
Laura died a few minutes before I arrived on an exquisite Colorado spring day at home, with Brett cradling her in his arms.
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Courtesy of Mary Hagen Roberts Laura with her stepfather, John Roberts, at her brother Tom’s graduation in May 2019.
I’ve been told that she was lucid and talking and sipping a smoothie just before she died. A nurse was with her to discuss hospice options if Laura were to decide on palliative care. The nurse had arrived around noon, and she immediately increased Laura’s pain and anxiety medications as Laura was finding it more and more difficult to breathe. At one point, just after 1 p.m., Laura stood up, walked a few steps, collapsed and was gone.
And I was not with her.
And I have no idea how to carry on now that she is gone or what to do with my unbelievable and unbearable sorrow.
Someone needs to tell me how to grieve, as I’ve found shouting at people for not wearing masks or grousing at folks pushing and crowding me in line at our now open Colorado shops does not seem to be working for me.
Tell me how to grieve when we are not permitted to have a funeral or memorial service, when the precious body of my child disappears into the back of a repurposed funeral home minivan, never to be seen again.
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I want the rituals of mourning that our society – that I – have learned to rely on to process grief.
I ache to hold my grandsons. I want to hug my sister and see my brothers who live a thousand miles away. I miss my friends. I want to go to Laura’s favorite brewpub and order greasy sliders and a pitcher of IPA and share and cry with her coworkers and friends.
I want to accept the mystery casseroles and chocolate brownies that my neighbors, when called upon, will rally and bring me, along with their sympathy and love.
But because I am 64 years old and immunocompromised with Addison’s disease, I’m afraid to answer the door.
For now — instead of a service, instead of a funeral — our small family mourned our unbearable loss and told stories from Laura’s wild-child youth and brilliant, short life. We cried, and we talked and damned this virus and its spread. But now I wake up every morning and go to bed every night with this hole in my heart, and I don’t know how I’ll move forward.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--How I Work From Home With Small Kids – Without Losing My F***ing Mind

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We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
When describing what it’s like to work from home while parenting small kids, some people choose to use the words “unrelenting”, “nightmare”, and “hellscape”.
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And they’re right. Performing a job from home in a pandemic, especially a job you normally only do while your children are looked after or educated elsewhere, is almost impossible – especially if the number of children match or outnumber the parents in the house.
But for many of us, there’s no other option. My husband and I, who both work full-time from home, cope by splitting the working day between us – one of us will parent through the morning while the other one works, then we’ll swap at midday.
However, while this may suit my husband, it doesn’t, I’m afraid, suit me. He’s a morning person – a trait both children have, regrettably, inherited – bashing out three articles before sun-up in the time it takes me to understand the thing I’m looking at is a kettle.
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I’m not a morning person. Left to my own devices, I’d rise late and work late into the night. I need a decent run-up to my working day, and – if I’m to produce anything of quality – acres of quiet, entire universes of mental space.
None of this is available right now. So far I’ve been hitting my stride around 30 minutes before my working “shift” ends. Not only is my productivity in tatters, so too is my self-esteem, which makes me a less adept parent. While my husband can set up wholesome educational activities and often get the kids involved in baking, with me there’s screen time and, sometimes, shouting.
For a long time I beat myself up about this, but it didn’t improve anything. Whether my productivity dip is down to ADHD, my anxiety or depression – or it’s just plain personal preference – I’ve devised a new, more flexible work from home plan; a much more realistic one. Hopefully, some of it might suit you.
Planet Flem via Getty Images
Prioritise your relationships.
At the moment my relationship with my husband exists almost entirely within the brief, whispered exchange we have at bedtime – our kids are unsettled, so we’re currently each sleeping with one of them. That’s fine, right? We’re a solid couple, we’ll be here for each other once this period is over.
But, we were – without realising – conducting our own, separate lockdowns, which can’t be helping either. So now, we try and reserve at least one night together, to clink beers and watch at least half a movie before we conk out.
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And the effects are stupefyingly huge –I feel lighter in myself, and part of something bigger, which makes the constant low-level dread far easier to bear.
Protect your sleep.
If you have small kids you may normally treat eight hours of sleep as an optional luxury, but in a pandemic, your wellbeing is your largest commodity – so don’t scrimp. My kids are poor sleepers, so this means scheduling naps during work-time, which seems counter-intuitive, but actually increases productivity in the long run.
Lower your expectations. No, lower.
I don’t know which parent of reception-aged kids needs to hear this, but in many parts of Europe, children don’t even start school until they’re six or seven. So if you haven’t got the hang of home-schooling, don’t freak out – no one will judge you if your seven-year-old doesn’t know Pythagoras’ theorem when school reopens.
Similarly, if you’re not achieving as much at work – and obviously this comes with caveats – try and take comfort in the knowledge that none of your colleagues are either, and nor is your boss.
Let new bad habits slide.
Since the beginning of lockdown, my five-year-old has started compulsively gnawing his Lego, and my toddler – who was beginning to wean – has returned to breastfeeding with newborn ferocity. This was all driving me mad until I realised these are self-soothing activities in a time of great uncertainty.
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I’m self-soothing too, if the sheer weight of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk in my cupboard is to be believed. So now I offer my older son more hugs, I let my toddler feed, and I keep eating the chocolate.
Recognise the news for what it is.
If you’re anything like me, you’re compulsively checking the news for something to end the uncertainty and feel like you’re the master of your own life again – but news headlines aren’t designed to do this.
Should something status-shifting occur – like a vaccine that’s ready to be rolled out – you’ll know, because everyone will be talking about it. By all means, check the news but, to preserve your sanity, don’t expect it to help you out.
Turn FOMO into something positive.
Is social media making you irrationally furious? Do you resent people without kids who claim to be bored, when you can’t even go to the loo without three children and an entire Sylvanian Family coming with you? Simply print out the offenders’ profile photos and turn them into dartboards for your children. Tada! You’re basically a Pinterest parent now!


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--I Run A Mental Health Ward. We're A Coronavirus Frontline Too

Courtesy of the author HuffPost UK
In the middle of this unprecedented crisis, the psychiatric ward I work on is among the many frontline services striving to keep people well during these strange and uncertain times.
The key word in that sentence is ‘people’. On our ward, we are looking after individuals, not statistics – and individuals all have different needs. There is no one size fits all in any hospital environment, and our ward is a strong example of this.
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At St Andrew’s, we run numerous wards for people needing specialist care for a range of psychiatric problems. The ward I work on is one of a kind in the UK: a deaf specialist medium secure psychiatric ward for men. All our patients are either profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing, and British Sign Language (BSL) is the first language on the ward.
‘Business as usual’ for us involves supporting people facing debilitating mental health challenges, as well as significant communication barriers. You could, of course, argue that in many ways ‘business as usual’ doesn’t exist in our job, because no day is the same. When it comes to mental health there is no uniform approach; a coping therapy for one person may not work for another, and on a deaf psychiatric ward patients will also have different ways of communicating. Throw the coronavirus threat into the mix and our patients – and our staff – have an awful lot to consider on a day-to-day basis.
“Working with mental health patients means socially distancing, and remote working just isn’t possible.”
If we think about how coronavirus has affected the wider population, we know that anxiety is high, and we know that we need to socially distance or wear PPE if treating members of the general population. Now imagine you live with extreme anxiety or paranoia, as many of our patients do, and you can imagine having your temperature checked regularly or being cared for by someone wearing PPE can fuel that anxiety further.
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But PPE isn’t optional in a hospital – working with mental health patients means you often have to come into close contact, so socially distancing, and remote working as part of the nursing team isn’t possible. We’re dealing with people’s wellbeing, and offering them round the clock support – you can’t manage crises by Zoom. So being present, with PPE, is a requirement for us.
For our staff and patients too, the masks add another problem. The masks we wear to protect each other from covid-19 make things like lip reading and facial expressions virtually impossible, cutting off a huge amount of our ability to communicate with our patients – and indeed our staff, half of whom are deaf themselves. That combination of increased anxiety and new barriers to communication gives us a really challenging situation to manage.
Luckily, I’m fortunate to be surrounded by passionate and driven colleagues – people who really care about their work and want to help some of the country’s most vulnerable people.
Having that passionate and driven team is, I think, what led to us managing the covid-19 crisis on our ward effectively. As soon as we heard about the virus affecting other European countries, we knew we needed to be proactive and consider the risks to our patients and practice. We changed hand-washing areas and reduced external visitors in the very early stages before lockdown, so we were able to gradually get patients used to change prior to the Government’s social distancing rules coming into play. We translated news headlines and advice into pictorial guides in the form of posters. And we asked our patients to get involved in the creation of these, to ensure they felt part of the process and really understood the impact. Patient involvement is key because the service exists for them. They must be at the heart of everything we do, to ensure that we are delivering the right support as needed.
“We’re all exhausted, we’re worried about the future, but we know our first duty is to keep our patients safe”
In our line of work, my team are used to adapting quickly to unexpected crises – but the covid-19 pandemic has made that pressure relentless. Going home feeling drained after a difficult day has become the norm. Our team are working on high alert and at full speed every single day – with no idea as to when this might end. Not knowing when the light at the end of the tunnel is likely to appear is incredibly tiring and disheartening and I do worry how this crisis is going to affect the mental health of all people on the frontline.
I know I need to look at post-crisis staff support, but I am so incredibly proud of the team and how they have put the patients first – never complaining, adapting to whatever changes we need to make and rolling their sleeves up. Throughout this outbreak all frontline workers have stepped up – not just on my ward but across the nation. We’re all exhausted, we’re worried about the future, but we know our first duty is to keep our patients safe. That’s why we signed up to this job, to make a difference and help people during their time of need.
But on my ward one of the things that has really kept everyone going is seeing the response from patients. Every Thursday they go out into the yard to clap for us – in BSL this involves waving your hands in the air much like a wave. We’re also extremely grateful for the wonderful thank you letters from patients’ friends and families.
We love what we do, there’s no doubt about it. That’s why I wanted to write this piece: to thank my amazing colleagues, but also as a way of showing that every key worker experiences a different challenge.
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And I think it’s good to hear those stories and share our experiences to remind us all that the crisis isn’t about statistics or services. It’s about people.
James Wyatt is a ward manager at St Andrew’s Healthcare


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Can Boris Johnson Navigate His Way Down The Coronavirus Mountain?

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Pardon my French
“Hope is not a plan”. That was one of the most candid assessments in the government’s new 51-page roadmap for easing the UK out of its seven-week coronavirus lockdown. For Boris Johnson, for so long the king of the sing-it-then-wing-it school of politics, it sounded particularly downbeat.
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To Johnson’s critics, there’s been little hope and even less of a plan over the past few weeks. As well as a dire death toll and shortages of tests and protective equipment, their list of his failures now includes the newly chaotic public health messaging. Replacing the brutally effective ‘Stay Home’ mantra with the more confusing ‘Stay Alert’ alternative is seen by some as another faux pax, another blunder from the blunderbuss in No.10.
The new doubt sown in the public mind was evident at the Downing Street press conference when citizen questioners complained the new message was too “vague”. Could they see their mum and dad or just one of them? In the park or their garden? (The answer, despite some riffing from Dominic Raab, was one and not in their garden). When even Philip Schofield declares on prime time TV that the government is starting to “arse it up”, you know something’s slightly amiss with your comms.
Johnson does have a plan, however, and one that he hopes will give hope too. His roadmap, ‘Our Plan To Rebuild’ is shot through with carefully judicious conditionality. It’s also a reminder that the best laid plans often go awry. It links to the original March 3 ‘Action Plan’ that some people now view as an inaction plan on issues like the speed of the lockdown and the UK’s testing capacity. ‘Contain, delay, research and mitigate’ all seem like an age ago, technical terms rapidly swamped by the virus and the lockdown itself.
As ever, the PM is often his own worst enemy. The man who returned from his own brush with the illness to tell the nation to “contain your impatience” turned out to be the one whose impatience was the real cause of the comms errors of recent days.
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If he hadn’t blurted out during last week’s PMQs that by this Monday the lockdown would start easing (and therefore avoided a detail-free Sunday night TV address), his PR problems would have been lessened. If he had decided to first make a statement to parliament today, followed by a TV address tonight, setting out how from this Wednesday some changes would begin (all backed up with detailed papers on everything from transport to schools to workplaces), he could even have won praise for a methodical, cautious approach.
Indeed in some ways, the real question is why many of these plans weren’t announced weeks ago. As the PM himself points out, construction and manufacturing workers (indeed anyone who can’t feasibly work from home) have been allowed to go into work since day one of lockdown.
So why has it taken this long to come up with rules or guidance on how to keep their workplaces safe? Why did it take so long to recognise that letting people sit on their own on a park bench (no, it’s not ‘exercise’ but it is great for their mental health) would not endanger anyone else? Why so long to work out that face coverings may help on transport or small shops?
The more important changes are set for June and July, with schools and key sectors of the economy in line for tentative returns. The government’s approach of phases and pilots to test things out makes eminent sense, as does its willingness to reimpose stricter measures if there are any spikes in local areas.
Of course, any change to the Stay Home messaging would be fraught with difficulty for any government. The nuance and complexity of all those phases and pilot schemes don’t easily fit into one slogan. ‘Stay Safe, Save Lives’ may have been slightly better, or ‘Stay Cautious, Save Lives’ (the new French motto which was curiously equated by the PM with his own ‘Stay Alert’ effort). The PM told MPs today “I think ‘Stay Alert’ is a valid piece of advice, and indeed so is ‘Stay At Home If You Can’.”
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But despite, or perhaps because of, the kicking he has got in recent days, Johnson is once again displaying his political modus operandi of nicking the best of his opponents’ policies and discarding the worst. The man who once ridiculed ‘elf n safety’ as a Telegraph columnist, today set out plans to make every workplace ‘Covid-Secure’, with £14m for more staff for the Health and Safety Executive to make spotchecks. Bad bosses won’t be allowed to “get away with” “forcing” people into unsafe workplaces, he vowed.
When Johnson again said that “one of the differences between this crisis and 2008 is we really want to look after working people”, that was a political threat to Labour as potentially dangerous as all those red wall Brexit seats turning blue last year.
He could even perhaps take up the idea of the centre-right think tank the Social Market Foundation for a new work-and-training guarantee programme. This would ensure anyone who cannot find a conventional job is paid by the state in the new ‘green jobs’ industry. Un-Tory? Maybe. UnJohnsonian? Not necessarily. The spectre of mass unemployment is certainly what keeps many Tory MPs in marginal seats up at night.
Keir Starmer is a wily opponent though. He was the one who demanded a national standard for workplace safety, and also the one who raised the issue of a lack of childcare for those now expected to go back to work. His prime time BBC address was the product of some clever research by his team, who dug into the BBC Charter to find the precedent of Hugh Gaitskell delivering a response to the Suez crisis.
That BBC address played to Starmer’s strengths too, with neat lines again linking the WW2 generation and the care homes they now live (and die) in, and the way care workers are treated like heroes but paid less than the living wage.
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And Starmer is capable of a bit of political cross-dressing of his own too, and not just by reclaiming veterans’ patriotism. On China, Starmer is already sounding more hawkish, and on the need for a home-grown industrial strategy. He has already attacked Johnson for failing to get tougher on overseas arrivals at our ports and airports earlier in the Covid crisis.
On getting Britain back to work during Covid-19, the Labour leader is following the example of the best trade unions. For years, pragmatic unions reps have negotiated furloughs or shorter working hours as a better option than redundancies in factories. During this crisis, it was shopworkers union Usdaw which actually led the way in negotiating new safe working in supermarkets.
Starmer has shown he is a politician as much as a lawyer of late. He has shown, to coin a phrase, that he likes to have his cake and eat it - sounding ever-so-constructive while being quietly destructive of the PM’s competence.
There is still more ammunition for him in the language used by some Tories, of “zombie jobs”, of “weaning” those on furlough “off the drug” of state aid, all of which sounds like a party that still doesn’t get how precarious life is for those earning modest wages. Those on furlough are after all those most likely to get the sack once that Treasury help disappears. The PM’s own ill-advised line on Sunday that the UK “can be stronger and better than ever before” - in the wake of more than 30,000 deaths - sounded like some sub-Nietzschean nonsense (what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger?) that could leave a nasty taste in the mouths of the bereaved.
Starmer can rightly say Covid-19 has exposed the care sector crisis, (one spin-too-far in today’s document was the line that “the government will continue to bolster the UK’s social care sector”) as much as it has exposed the digital divide in schools and the health inequalities among different classes and races. He can also argue that far from fixing the roof while the sun shone, the Tories neglect of public services in the past decade is now why there’s a rainstorm of pain from this virus. No wonder the PM has finally drafted a plan. It will take a lot more than hope to get down his mountain path unscathed.
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Quote Of The Day
“It is a plan that should give the people of the United Kingdom hope. Hope that we can rebuild; hope that we can save lives; hope that we can safeguard livelihoods.”
Boris Johnson in the foreword to his new Covid-19 plan
Cheat Sheet
The prime minister said he was not expecting a “flood” of people going back to work this week despite his tweaks to the lockdown.
The Office of National Statistics estimated that 136,000 people in England were currently infected with COVID-19.
Sir Patrick Vallance said there was no guarantee of a vaccine for Covid-19 but said that he would “be surprised if we didn’t end up with something” like a drug treatment or a vaccine.
People in England should now aim to wear face coverings on public transport and in some shops, the government said.
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The latest round of talks between the UK and EU over a post-Brexit trade deal began.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Trump Storms Out Of Coronavirus Briefing After Female Reporters Challenge Him

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US president Donald Trump abruptly ended his coronavirus press briefing on Monday after getting visibly angry with two female reporters.
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In the final moments of his news conference, Trump took a question from Weijia Jiang, who asked him why he so often claimed the US was “doing far better than any other country when it comes to testing” and framed it as a “global competition” when so many Americans are still dying, she said.
“Well, they’re losing their lives everywhere in the world. And maybe that’s a question you should ask China,” Trump told Jiang, who is of Asian descent and was born in China.
“Don’t ask me. Ask China that question, OK? When you ask them that question, you may get a very unusual answer.”
Trump throws a fit when @kaitlancollins of CNN tries to ask him a question and abruptly ends the press conference pic.twitter.com/58AVZ9CABl — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 11, 2020
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Trump then called on another female reporter, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, who paused to let Jiang ask a follow-up question: “Why are you saying that to me specifically?”
Trump fired back at Jiang that she was asking a “nasty question”.
Then, seemingly punishing Collins for yielding time to Jiang, Trump refused to let Collins get her question in and called on someone else.
“Next, please,” Trump said, speaking over Collins as she tried to ask him her question.
But before actually moving on to the next reporter, Trump abruptly ended the briefing and walked off stage. This is the latest in a string of tense moments between Trump and the reporters who ask him questions at his coronavirus briefings. He has notably often directed his anger at the female reporters in the room, especially those who are women of colour.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Interpol Issues 'Red Notice' For Arrest Of Harry Dunn's Alleged Killer

Harry Dunn was killed when his motorbike crashed into a car outside a US military base in Northamptonshire in August last year. Supplied
The wife of a US intelligence official who is alleged to have killed teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn is “wanted internationally” after Interpol issued a notice for her arrest.
Anne Sacoolas, 42, was charged with causing death by dangerous driving in December, but an extradition request submitted by the Home Office was rejected by US secretary of state Mike Pompeo in January.
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Interpol, which coordinates international police cooperation, has now reportedly issued a red notice for her arrest.
The red notice is not an international arrest warrant, but are issued for fugitives wanted for prosecution or sentencing.
The process is normally used so member countries can look out for the suspect, which usually assists with the extradition proceedings.
In an email to the 19-year-old’s parents from Northamptonshire Police, seen by the PA news agency, the force said “the wanted circulations should be enacted” should Sacoolas leave the US.
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Harry was killed when his motorbike and a car outside a US military base in Northamptonshire collided in August last year.
Sacoolas, the wife of a US intelligence official based at RAF Croughton, claimed diplomatic immunity following the crash and was able to return to her home country, sparking an international controversy.
On April 30, a spokesperson for the US State Department reiterated its position that, at the time of the accident, and for the duration of her time in the UK, the driver had immunity from criminal jurisdiction.
The teenager’s mother said the news had been passed to the parents via their spokesperson, Radd Seiger.
Reacting to the news, Charlotte Charles told the PA news agency: “It’s been a terrible time for us. We are utterly bereft and heartbroken and miss our Harry every minute of every single day.
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“This is important news that Radd has just passed on to us and we are in pieces.
“I just want to urge Mrs Sacoolas to come back to the UK and do the right thing. Face justice and maybe then our two families can come together after the tragedy and build a bridge.”
Giving his thoughts on the development, Seiger said: “Northamptonshire Police have confirmed to me that an Interpol Red Notice has now been circulated worldwide in respect of Anne Sacoolas.
“It renders her a fugitive on the run and it means that she would be arrested and returned to the UK the minute she attempts to set foot out of the USA.
“Red notices would not be served on valid diplomats. I would urge the authorities in London and Washington and Mrs Sacoolas’ legal team to come together now to return her to the UK to face the English justice system where she will get a fair trial.
“I am sure that both families have suffered for far too long and it is time for her to do the right thing and come back.”
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After the news emerged, the prime minister’s spokesperson said: “Our position remains that the US decision not to extradite Anne Sacoolas amounts to a denial of justice.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Threat Of Hard Border Between England And Wales Remains Amid Differing Lockdown Rules

The Prince of Wales Bridge, which connects South Wales with the south west of England. Ben Birchall - PA Images via Getty Images
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Fears have been raised of a “hard border” between Wales and England as the two countries prepare to follow different lockdown restrictions.
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On Sunday evening, prime minister Boris Johnson told an audience of almost 30m people across the UK that the public were – from Wednesday – free to travel as far as they liked to exercise.
This represents a departure from the previous message, that all exercise must be carried out close to home, and means people are now able to drive to rural beauty spots such as the Lake District to enjoy the fresh air – something that had previously been repeatedly warned against.
The PM’s message did not distinguish between rules for England and rules for the UK in general. In fact, it appeared at points to do the opposite.
He said: “I believe that as prime minister of the United Kingdom – Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, there is a strong resolve to defeat this together.
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“And today a general consensus on what we could do.”
As it turns out, that the reality of the consensus isn’t as firm as the PM’s message suggested. Ministers from Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have all rejected the government’s new “stay alert, control the virus, save lives” slogan, instead opting to continue to follow the “stay at home” advice.”
Immediately after Johnson’s address, Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford released his own video message stating that advice for Wales had not changed.
On Monday morning, the Welsh government’s counsel general Jeremy Miles told the BBC that rules “do not permit people to get in their car and drive to destinations in Wales”.
So no, the entire population of the UK isn’t free to travel wherever they like to exercise, and in Wales that means people cannot travel “a significant distance” from home.
“That also means people getting in their cars in England,” Miles added, saying police in Wales “absolutely have the power to fine” people for making non-essential journeys or not exercising near their home.
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South Wales Police Federation chair Steve Treharne also told the BBC that driving from England into Wales “still becomes an offence”.
With different guidelines in either nation, there are fears that increased policing could effectively form a “hard border” between the two nations as Wales seeks to protect its population.
HuffPost UK has contacted the Welsh government and Wales’ four police forces – North Wales Police, Gwent Police, Dyfed-Powys Police, and South Wales Police – for details on whether and how the border will be policed and respective restrictions maintained.
As of Monday evening, no further information had been offered.
But without specific guidelines for each country being broadcast by the prime minister himself, there are concerns that many could flout the rules – either intentionally or without realising that rules over the border in Wales are different from those in England.
Charlotte Hunt, 30, lives close to Llandudno, near Snowdonia National Park. She told HuffPost UK she and her partner hadn’t heard about the difference in strategy between Wales and England until they had specifically looked up new cases of the virus in their area to check the latest number of infections.
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Charlotte Hunt, pictured here in Snowdonia National Park Charlotte Hunt
“We’d seen Scotland’s view on social media, but the Welsh strategy wasn’t very well shared,” she explained.
“Our friends in England hadn’t realised that Wales has a different strategy until we spoke to them.”
Despite living just a few miles from the edge of the national park, Charlotte explained they had stayed within 3km of their home for the duration of the lockdown but were now worried that more people from outside the area would travel to visit local beauty spots.
She said: “I think people will travel to Snowdonia from within Wales and outside. People were being stopped from as far as London on their way to hike in the mountains just a couple of weeks ago.
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“We still have a fairly low number of cases in north Wales, but this is increasing. It’s worrying that people could spread the virus from London, Manchester, Liverpool, et cetera.
“Our hospitals aren’t as big and we have a high number of people living rurally, which could put a huge strain on the ambulances.
“We’re also concerned about the volunteer rescue services, who have members trying to shield. If we get an influx of hikers we always have more callouts, which puts a huge strain on the volunteers and risks giving them the virus.”
Jessica Philips, 25, moved home to Ammanford, at the edge of the Brecon Beacons, a week before start of lockdown, and says she had already heard of two English families travelling to the area.
Jessica Phillips, who lives near the Brecon Beacons Jessica Phillips
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She said: “It’s frightening because local services are already stretched.
“It’s also frustrating because Wales is hugely underfunded compared to England, yet it’s our hospitals and frontline staff who will have to cope with the impact of the virus.”
Jessica also explained that a lack of education around how devolved powers work means that local rules may be disregarded in favour of the PM’s address, which was watched by almost 30m people on Sunday evening.
“I think it doesn’t help that there isn’t enough education around devolved power in Wales,” Jessica added.
“A lot of people take Boris Johnson’s word as gospel when it’s the Welsh government’s decision to ease or lift lockdown.
“I worry that local people will think that these new rules also apply to them and will start socialising normally which could have catastrophic consequences.”
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The concerns about a split in policy aren’t just increasing fears of a flood of visitors to Welsh beauty spots, but also risks creating very real complications for commuters who usually travel back and forth over the border on a daily basis.
Harriet Protheroe-Soltani, 26, lives in Cardiff and in normal times would travel by train each day to work at a trade union in Bristol.
“I’m very lucky – I work for a responsible employer and they’ve told me to work from home indefinitely,” she explains.
“If I wasn’t in that position I wouldn’t have a clue what to do. I don’t drive, so I would be forced to get on the train and put my safety at risk – it’s not as though I can just jump on my bike and cycle over to Bristol every day.
“I think the Welsh and Scottish governments have been really clear. The confusion has come from the prime minister’s statement. There was no recognition that the devolved nations were taking different approaches.”
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Less than a day after Johnson’s statement, Harriet said she was seeing an outpouring of support from friends and acquaintances online for an enforced border between Wales and England.
“It’s quite worrying actually – I’ve been seeing a lot of people who I know are really calm and reasonable being quite extreme about calling for some sort of temporary hard border,” she said.
“There is definitely a real worry that people from England will travel to Wales for a day out and put a strain on the health service.
“I don’t want it to happen, but I think there is the potential for this divide in policy to cause real hostility.”
There are also fears that increased pressure could be put on devolved governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland by Westminster to adopt the new rules, especially as the fate of the furlough scheme which has supported millions of workers across the UK is revealed.
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“I think the Welsh government is absolutely right to stick with the ‘stay at home’ message,” said 44-year-old Rachel Garrick, who lives in Caldicot in Monmouthshire and would usually commute into Bristol for work.
“My concern is that Westminster will just ramp up the pressure on devolved nations to follow the same guidelines as in England, when I don’t think it’s safe to do so.
“I usually get the train, but I don’t feel like I could if I had to stop working from home so I would drive.
“Are the police then going to stop every car heading over the border from Wales into England? Are my husband and I going to end up in a position where we’re having to justify returning to our home country?”
A Welsh government spokesperson could only point HuffPost UK towards Johnson’s speech on Sunday, in which he said: “We will try to ensure [people in England] get that message that rules in Wales are different. The police’s approach has always been to educate people, advise them and only use fines when they feel people fail to observe the rules here. It won’t be a matter of being fined immediately, they will be told what they are doing is not consistent with the law.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Watch Live: Boris Johnson Gives Daily Coronavirus Briefing After Detailing Plan In Parliament

Watch Live: Boris Johnson Gives Daily Coronavirus Briefing After Detailing Plan In Parliament
The prime minister addresses the nation after formally presenting the coronavirus lockdown easing plans in parliament. He’s joined by Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance for the daily briefing.